THE COMPLETE GUN-ROOM 47 
field, because fingers frozen to the bone by cold and wet 
cannot manipulate the instrument with the required nicety. 
The best of all extractors for the fowler is a simple device 
invented by Mr. Stanley Duncan. It never fails, and can be 
used without any tiresome, and, under the circumstances 
I have indicated, often impossible adjustment. The thing is 
simply a piece of solid lead about two inches long, and of the 
thickness of an ordinary blue pencil. Dropped down the 
barrel of the gun, it will remove the tightest case. Any 
ironmonger or blacksmith could make one of these plugs in 
a very short time, and all sportsmen who have tried them, 
myself among the number, find them indispensable. 
A few other necessities of the gun-room may be men- 
tioned, though they hardly come under the category of tools. 
One of them is a compass, which is an absolute necessity both 
for shore and punt-shooting. Many a man would have lost 
his life upon the saltings or afloat without one. The best 
variety I know of, and one which IJ always use, is that sold by 
Messrs. Negretti and Zambra for half a guinea. It is in the 
shape of a full hunter watch, and made of gun-metal. The 
card is illuminated at night, and can be seen with perfect 
plainness if the compass is opened for an hour or so in the 
daytime to absorb the light which it gives off at night. 
No fowler can be without a pair of strong glasses, and 
these should be as light as possible and with a wide field. I 
have a pair that were made in Paris and only cost thirty 
shillings. I did not buy them myself, and they have no 
maker’s name upon them. They are excellent though rather 
heavy. Lately, however, I have been experimenting with 
smaller makes and find Messrs. Negretti and Zambra’s 
‘‘Minim” glasses good. They are small and light with clear 
definitions. It would be interesting if some eminent opticians 
like the above-mentioned firm, Messrs. Zeiss, or Goertz, 
would produce a special ‘‘fowler’s” glass. They would be 
