30 
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF 
mncli greater than those of segment. On the other hand, it may he 
urged that should a shell hurst by actual impact on an object, such as 
a column of infantry, the immediate wide dispersion of the segments 
tends to distribute them well; and those who advocate the use of 
segment shells will be found almost invariably to be also advocates for 
the use of percussion fuzes. 
The discussion of the relative advantages of time and percussion fuzes 
is such, that I do not wish here to attempt it, but rather to keep more 
closely to the work of bringing facts together for those who have not 
time to collect them for themselves. 
It should be said in favour of the segment, that, under certain cir¬ 
cumstances, it has given good results on active service. Oapt. Mercer 
reported its action in bursting into the rifle-pits of the Maories to have 
been very good ; some officers reported well of it in China. The report 
to lay most stress on is that of Major Hay, describing its action on 
troops placed behind brick walls. No doubt, also, against wooden 
ships it would, with percussion fuzes, exhibit a good union of pene¬ 
tration and dispersion. 
It will be seen that all these cases are such as favour its action with 
percussion fuzes, without bringing out the disadvantages of its effects 
being very local—that is, confined very closely to the bursting spot. 
This arises from the segments being of comparatively low specific 
gravity, and of a form unsuited to keeping up their velocity or to 
ricochet on the ground. Moreover, the bursting charge, from its 
position, tends to disperse the segments, which are already predisposed 
to scatter from the centrifugal force due to the rapid twist. This, in the 
cases above quoted, caused no ill effect, for the ordinary conditions of 
firing in the open were almost reversed. I believe the Committee on 
Field Gluns for India were interrupted in certain experiments made 
to investigate carefully the respective cones of dispersion of segment 
and shrapnel shell. 
I would now endeavour to illustrate the matter by a few diagrams I 
have made, to exhibit results of experiments at Dartmoor. 
Fig. 1 gives the best result obtained by 12-pr. segment with percussion 
Fig . l. 
Aemsteong Segment. 
Percussion Fuze (only). Range 1670yds. 
-1-1 PREMATURE 2 BROKE UP BEYOND. 
1194- 
fuzes acting on targets in column. It is so striking, that before entering 1 
into odious comparisons^ let us congratulate ourselves that such a result 
