niPLEJIEXTS FOE COLLECTIXG. AXU THEIE USE. 7 



(^maJe of larJ) for table use ans\'rfrs the purpose. The quality of any oil may be improved by 

 puttiug iu it a few taeks. or seraps of ziuc, — the oil expends its rusty eapaeity iu oxidizing the 

 metal. luferior oils set "stieky." One of the best preventives of rust is mereurial ("blue") 

 ointment : it may be freely used. Kerosene will remove rust ; but use it spariut:]y fw it 

 ■■ eats" sound met;d too. 



To Load a Gun effectively requires something more than knowledge of the facts that the 

 powder should go in before the shot, and that each should have a wad a-top. Pr^ibably the 

 most nearly universal fault is use <.if too mitch shot for the amount of powdi.-r : and the next, 

 too much of both. The rule is hull' /or hull: of powder and shot. If m^t exactly this, then 

 rather less shot than powder. It is absurd to suppose, as some persons who ought tn know 

 better do. that the more shot in a gun the greater the chances of killing. The projectile 

 force of a charge cannot possibly be greater than the rw inertia of the gun as held by the 

 shooter. The exj>losion is manifested in all directions, and blows the shot one ^vay simply 

 and oulv because it has no nther escapie. If the resistance in front of tlie powder were 

 greater than elsewhere, the shcit would not budge, but the guu would liy backward, or 

 burst. This ;ilways remuids me of Lord Dundreary's famous conundrum — AVliy does a d>ig 

 wag his tail ? Because he is bigger than his t;iil : otherwise the tail would wag hiiii. A 

 gun shoots shot because the gun is the heavier : otherwise the shot would shcnjt tlie gnu. 

 Every unnecessary p>elletis a pieUet against you. not against the game. The experienced sports 

 man uses about (.me-third less shot than the tyro, with propiortionally better result. I'ther things 

 being equal. As to powder, moreover, a gun can only burn just so much, and every grain 

 blown out unburnt is wasted if nothing iniire. Xo express directions for absolute weiglit or 

 measures of either powder or shot can be given ; in fact, different guns take as then' mcist 

 efl'ective charge such a variable amount of ammunitic^u, that one of the first things you have to 

 learn about yoirr o^vn arm is, its normal charge-trauge. Find out, by assiduous target practice, 

 what absolute amounts (and to a slight degree, what relative piroportion) of powder and shot 

 are required to shoot the fanhest and distribute the pellets most eveidy. This practice, further- 

 more, wUl acquaint you with the gun's capacities in every respect. You should learn exactly 

 what it will and what it wiU not do, so as to feel perfect confidence in your arm within a cer- 

 tain rancje, and to waste no shots in atteinpiting miracles. Immoderate recoil is a piretty sure 

 siirn that the gun was overloaded, or otlierwise wrongly charged ; and aU force of reeoU is sub- 

 tracted from the impiulse of the shot. It is useless to ram powder very hard ; two or tlu'ee 

 smart taps of the rod wiU suffice, and more -will not increase the explosive force. On the shot 

 the wad should simply be pressed close enough to fix tli^ pellets immovably. AU these direc- 

 tions app>ly to the charging of metal ov p>aper cartridges as well as to loading by the muzzle. 

 The latter opieration is so rarely required, now that guns of every grade break at the breach, 

 that advice on this score may seem quite anachronistic : nevertheless, I let what I said in the 

 orisinal edition stand. 'When about to recharge one baiTcl see that the hammer of the other 

 stands at half-cock. Do not drop the ramrod into the other barrel, for a stray shot might 

 impact between the swell of the head and the gun and make it difficult to withdraw the rod. 

 During the whole opieration keep the muzzle as firr from ytmr person as you conveniently can. 

 Xever force home a wad -^vith the flat of your hand over the end of the rod, bat hold the rod 

 between your fingers and thumb : in case cif premature explosion, it Avill make just the difl'er- 

 ence of lacerated finger tipis, or a blown-up hand. Xever look into a loaded gun-ban-el i you 

 might as wisely jmt your head into a lion's mouth to see what the animal had for dinner. 

 After a miss-fire hold the guu up a few moments and be sk'W to reload : the tire sometimes 

 "hangs" for several seconds. Finally, let me strongly impress upon you the expediency of 

 light loading in your routine collecting. Three-fourths of your shots need not bring into action 

 the gim's full powers of execution. You will shi^it more birds under than civer 30 yards ; not 



