COLLECTING BIRDS. 91 



CHAPTER XII. 



COLLECTING BIRDS. 



The experience of ornithologists usually makes them 

 careful hunters and good shots, yet, a few remarks on 

 collecting may be of value to amateurs, particularly if 

 thrown among a variety of species with which they are 

 not acquainted. 



In general hunting for North American birds, No. 4 

 shot is heavy enough for the largest, if a gun is used that 

 does not exceed ten pounds in weight, and No. 10 in 

 bore. Nos. 1 and 2 shot may be used successfully for 

 sea and lake shooting, with unusually heavy guns, built 

 specially for such sport. 



Many hunters use too small a charge of powder and too 

 coarse shot. Muzzle-loading cylinder-bored guns will 

 stand, and require more powder than the choke-bore 

 breech-loaders, which are becoming so popular, particu- 

 larly for trap-shooting. Before " chilled " shot were used, 

 the choke-bores were the best for long-range shooting, 

 with soft shot. Now nearly equal results at long-range 

 are obtained with cylinder bores and " chilled " shot, and 

 choke-bores and soft shot. Many trials of all kinds of 

 guns, with various charges, have proved conclusively that 

 cylinder-bores are the best for general shooting. 



"Chilled" shot can not be used in the average thin- 

 muzzled choke-bore gun with killing charges without 

 "bulging" and ruining the barrels. In shooting soft 

 shot from a choke-bore gun, they are completely jammed 

 out of their spherical form before they leave the weapon, 

 and although they will quickly kill a bird at short range, 

 they soon lose force, and do not penetrate or hold to- 

 gether like "chilled" shot, which retains nearly its orig- 

 inal form after being fired. 



