TRAP-SHOOTING. 299 



frequently not finished till repeated several times. 

 At the New York State Convention of 1865, held 

 at Niagara Falls, the parties tying one another were 

 set back five yards at every tie, and still at thirty-one 

 yards four birds out of five were killed with a single 

 barrel — although, of course, at this distance much 

 will depend upon the direction and mode of flight. 

 Success, even with the use of both barrels, will re- 

 quire far more brilliant shooting than in the present 

 mode. 



There has always been great dispute among trap- 

 shooters as to the best trap. The New York City 

 Club claims that a bird released from a ground-trap, 

 selecting his own time to rise, and mode and direc- 

 tion of flight, is harder to kill than one tossed 

 heels over head from a plunge or spring-trap. But 

 our Western brethren, who are naturally more rapid, 

 and who have less difficulty in obtaining pigeons, 

 are so annoyed with the waste of time occasioned 

 by a dilatory pigeon, that they universally prefer 

 the plunge-trap. 



Probably the mesne between these two opinions 

 is correct, or more properly a combination of them 

 both ; a single bird is undoubtedly harder to kiU at a 

 groiyid-trap, whereas the plunge-trap will free the 

 two birds in double-shooting, to go off at the same 

 moment. So that for these reasons, and to insure 

 skill at both, they should be appropriated to these 

 offices respectively. The best Western shot, if not 

 the best gentleman shot in the world, who has 

 killed his eighty-four out of ninety double birds, 



