RECEN TL Y PA TENTED IMPR VEMENTS. 59 



Hold, they say, a ruler before the right eye in such a position that when the left 

 eye is closed it covers the object ; now shut the right eye, and see in which 

 direction the ruler points ; it will be found to be many inches, or feet, or yards 

 away to the right, according to the distance of the object. It is therefore obvious, 

 so the argument runs, that a man fixes the object, bird, or target, as the case 

 may be, with his right eye, and neglects the image formed on his left retina alto- 

 gether. The difference of opinion upon the subject depends, according to the 

 Lancet, on the different practice of aiming adopted by different sportsmen. If a 

 man shoots slowly, accommodates his eye to the sight or sights on the barrel of 

 his gun, and then relaxes his accommodation for the distant object, and still 

 more if he alternately exerts and relaxes his accommodation, for which there is 

 ample time in target or any other deliberate shooting, then undoubtedly he uses 

 one eye, and, of course, usually the right eye, alone. But the act of accommo- 

 dation is a slow process, it requires nearly, if not quite, a second, and in ordi- 

 nary bird-fowling the sportsman has no time for this. The more practiced he is 

 the less he attends to his barrel and his sights. He first fixes the object with 

 both eyes, and then points the barrel at the precise elevation and in the direction 

 which long experience has taught him will be effective when the gun is dis- 

 charged. He adapts his eyes for the distant object, and the rest is mechanical. 

 Corroborative evidence that this view is correct is afforded by the fact that the 

 bowler at cricket never closes one eye or troubles himself about any line. He sim- 

 ply fixes the wicket or the precise spot in front of the wicket on which he desires 

 to pitch the ball, and leaves the rest to the co-ordinating nervous centers. The 

 billiard player, again, in the vast majority of cases uses both eyes, and fixes 

 alternately the near and the distant ball with both eyes. Therefore, if a man 

 uses his sights and attends to his barrel as well as to the object, he employs one 

 eye only, neglecting the impressions derived from the other. If, however, as is 

 customary with experienced sportsmen, he takes no thought of his gun and fixes 

 the distant object, then, undoubtedly, unless he has some defect of vision, he 

 uses both his eye, the visual lines of which at thirty yards are almost parallel to 

 each other. — Scientific American. 



RECENTLY PATENTED IMPROVEMENTS. 



J. C. HIGDON, M. E., KANSAS CITY, MO. 



Life Guard for Freight Cars. — This invention consists of a platform, 

 or plank, of suitable width and of a length somewhat shorter than the width of 

 the freight car-end to which it is apphed, and its object is to prevent the falling 

 of the train-men from and between the cars to the track below, and the loss of 

 life that unerringly attends such casualties. 



The platform is secured at any desired height to the end of a car, through 

 the medium of two or more supporting brackets upon and to which the platform 

 is loosely connected by metal sliding-bearings. 



