FIELD ORNITHOLOGY part i 



Shoulder it reversed, the hand grasping the barrels about their 

 middle, the muzzle pointing forward and downward ; this is per- 

 fectly admissible, but is the most awkward position of all to recover 

 from. Always carry a loaded gun at half-cock, unless you are about 

 to shoot. The best guns are now fitted with rebounding locks, 

 having a device by which the hammer is thrown back to half-cock 

 as soon as the blow is delivered on the firing-pin. This admirable 

 device is a great safeguard, and is particularly eligible for breech- 

 loaders, as the barrels may be unlocked and relocked without 

 touching the hammers. Unless the lock fail, accidental discharge 

 is impossible, except under these circumstances : (a) a direct blow 

 on the nipple or pin ; (6) catching of both hammer and trigger 

 simultaneously, drawing back of the former and its release whilst 

 the trigger is still held,^ — the chances against which are simply 

 incalculable. Full-cock, ticklish as it seems, is safer than no-cock, 

 when a tap on the hammer, or a slight catch arid release of the 

 hammer, may cause discharge. Never let the muzzle of a loaded 

 gun point toward your own person for a single instant. Get your 

 gun over fences, or into boats or carriages, before you get over or 

 in yourself, or at any rate no later. Eemove caps or cartridges on 

 entering a house. Never aim a gun, loaded or not, at any object, 

 unless you mean to press the trigger. Never put a loaded gun 

 away long enough to forget whether it is loaded or not. Never 

 leave a loaded gun to be found by others under circumstances 

 reasonably presupposing it to be unloaded. Never put a gun where 

 it can be knocked down by a dog or a child. Never imagine that 

 there can be any excuse for putting away a breech-loader loaded 

 under any circumstances. Never forget that the idiots who kill 

 people because they " didn't know it was loaded," are perennial. 

 Never forget that though a gunning accident may be sometimes 

 interpreted (from a false standpoint) as a "dispensation of Provi- 

 dence," such dispensations happen oftenest to the careless. 



To Clean a Gun properly requires some knowledge, more 

 good temper, and most " elbow-grease " ; it is dirty, disagreeable, 

 inevitable work, which laziness, business, tiredness, indifference, and 

 good taste will by turns tempt you to shirk. After a hunt you are 

 tired, have your clothes to change, a meal to eat, a lot of birds to 

 skin, a journal to write up. If you "sub-let" the contract, the 

 chances are it is but half fulfilled ; serve yourself, if you want to 

 be well served. If you cannot find time for a regular cleaning, an 

 intolerably foul gun may be made to do another day's work by 

 swabbing for a few moments with a wet (not dripping) rag, and 

 then with an oUed one. For the full wash use cold water first ; it 

 loosens dirt better than hot water. Set the barrels in a pail of 

 water ; wrap the end of the cleaning rod with tow or cloth, and 



