as to be "set over" inwards, in order to strike the cap as near to the barrel as it can be made to act without obscuring the line of aim.

I must observe, too, that the cock should have a shield to prevent the possibility of gas, or copper, not only from flying into the eye of the man who fires, but also to protect that of his right-hand man.

The cup of the breeching should either be contracted towards the bottom, so as to leave more thickness of metal at the joint, called the "shoulder," or have at least two threads of solid metal there, with a short "centre hole" (no matter how large), instead of having the breech cupped in one sized cylinder below the joint, -an old practice that Joe Manton told me. he never would allow, because he had seen many breechings on this construction "blow off at the shoulder in proving;" and, therefore, he should "never like to use them." The bottom of the breeching should be made a little concave, by which it can easily be wiped out, instead of being so flat as to be difficult to clean round the angles. To suit this the head of the ramrod might be rather convex, as the ramming down of a cartridge does not require such a flat end to a ramrod as that of a punched wadding. This improvement can only be objected to by those who know nothing about the insides of guns: for what is the use of "ringing" a ramrod, on the clean centre of a breeching, when all the edges round it may be corroded with rust and dirt?

Here is a little advice without a fee. Let us see if it will be thought worthy of attention: and, if so, let us see who will get credit for the improvement.

IMPROVED IGNITION FOR NEW SPRING MUSKET.

It will now be seen that the screw is all in one piece; and that the lining of platina, at b, is countersunk, so as to conduct the coarse powder still better to the centre, similar to a funnel.

The foregoing hints may perhaps lead to some improvements in the arms that will be issued at a future period; and, if so, I shall be amply repaid for the trouble I have had, and the pains I have taken for this purpose.

A A

DUCK SHOT.

No. 1. and 2. for a seven gauge, and A. or B. for a five ditto, or inch bore, are preferable to the very largest shot, by the same reason that No. 7. is best for game.

Mould shot alone, therefore, in any caliber less than that of a stanchion gun, is like No. 1. in a double gun: it may do wonders, for which you relinquish the certainty of what other shot will do.

To prove, that even one of these pellets may be carried off by a wildfowl, I should mention the circumstance of having seen a brentgoose, which, after having been brought down, flying, with No. 2., was discovered to have, under the wing, an old wound, considerably more than an inch deep: and out of this was taken one of the largest mould shot, which had rolled up in feathers, and formed a sort of tent. The following is a table of what I find the best shot for wildfowl:

Punt-guns

No.

3 for starlight.

1 for fair shots (or in the dark, when birds are wilder than in starlight.)

Packed by regular layers in car-f S. S. G. Above 100 yards. tridges -1 L. G. Wild random shooting.

A. or AA. are the best for geese, particularly by day, provided they are so tame as not to require S.S.G. In my second edition, I talked of mixing shot; but have since had reason to doubt whether it answers so well.

General Shrapnell once told me, that some man in Ireland had contrived to imitate his shells, or spherical case shot, with which he did wonders at the wildfowl. I was afterwards favoured by a gentleman in Kent, with the recipe for making and adapting them to small guns. But lest it might prove improper to publish it (which I could not well and clearly do without an engraving) I shall say no more on the subject, but leave this admirable invention as the property of the British ordnance, and be content with a safer and more simple remedy, the patent shotcartridge of Messrs. Eley.

DUCK GUN WADDING.

To avoid book-making, I shall now cancel six pages, the experiments for which had cost me much time and expense, and say no more about paper, pasteboard, cork, leather, &c. &c., but, in a few words, name what I have proved to be the best wadding for duck-guns. For all shoulder duck guns use Wilkinson's felt wadding, about a third in thickness the size of your caliber. But for long punt-guns, and all other water-guns that are opened behind, you will find that, after all, nothing beats a tight-wound ball of the best picked oakum ; because it springs to every gradation of the caliber; and, since the last edition, I have discovered a further improvement, which is to cut a square piece of silk, just large enough to hold your ball of oakum; then bring all the corners together; tie them up (like a cloth for a dumpling), and then cut them off with the scissors. This not only prevents the oakum from mixing with the shot; but makes the gun shoot much better, and with less recoil. I could publish fifty original pages on the subject of wadding; but who would take the trouble to read them? and what would be the use of this, after the sporting world has done me the honour to confide in what I recommend?