[55] FISHEEIES OP THE UNITED STATES. 325 



Cunningham's darting-gun— Continued. 



inches; length of trigger, 21 inches; length of harpoon, 34 

 inches; length of strap, 64 inches. New Bedford, Massachu- 

 setts, 1882. Gun, 56332; harpoon, 56352; lance, 56333; iron- 

 strap, 56353. U. S. Fish Commission. Patented (1882) and 

 manufactured by Patrick Cunningham, New Bedford, Massa- 

 chusetts. Stock number of gun, 107. 



Rechten's darting-gun. 



Gun, and guides for trigger, cast in one piece, gun-metal. Trigger, 

 or sliding-rod, cast-steel, with a spiral brass cushion-spring. 

 The lock-portions are concealed within the stock and protected 

 from exposure by a hinged cover, which, when closed, fastens 

 with a snap-spring. Stamped on breech "Patd. Dec. 7th, 

 1869;" stamped on barrel, monogram "J. P. R.," and stamped on 

 sliding-rod, or trigger, Ci ¥. Hobson; warranted Sheffield cast- 

 steel." Harpoon consists of a double-barbed fixed head; a 

 short neck with an eye in its center, to which is welded a loose 

 link with an eye in the rear for the iron-strap. The gun 

 may be thrust by hand and the harpoon automatically dis- 

 charged into the whale by impact. Length of gun, 9| inches ; 

 length of harpoon, including link, 11^ inches. New Bedford, 

 Massachusetts, 1882. 56330. U. S. Fish Commission. An 

 imperfect model of a kind of darting-gun patented by John P. 

 Eechten, of New York, N. T., December 7, 1869. Not in use. 



BURSTED BARREL OF A WHALEMAN'S DARTING-GUN. 



Barrel of a darting-gun fractured by premature explosion of a bomb- 

 lance when darted at a whale. Brought home by a whaleman 

 as an interesting " curio." Portion of hickory pole in the 

 socket. Length, 10 inches. New Bedford, Massachusetts, 

 1882. 56328. Gift of Jonathan Bourne. 



Model of darting gun. 



Said to be the original model of the first breech-loading darting-gun. 

 Wood, in two sections. Hammer, wood, operated by a small 

 piece of wire and a steel spring. Length, 16 inches. New Bed- 

 ford, Massachusetts, 1882. 56329. Gift of Patrick Cunning- 

 ham. Made by a whaleman on board ship in the Arctic regions. 

 Scrimshaw work. 



rocket guns. 

 Rocket gun. 



A stockless gun with a barrel of such shape and proportion as to 

 balance on the shoulder of the gunner ; designed to throw large 

 rockets and shells; barrel, sheet-copper, cylindrical; two rods 

 project behind the barrel and are fastened to an iron plate ; 

 barrel encircled with two wide transverse flanges, the lower one 



