The Sun.
London, England, 1867-06-17 00:00:00

PIGEON SHOOTING.

The most numerous gathering of the season took place
on Saturday at the Gun Club grounds, Wormholt Scrubbs,
near Shepherd's-bush, to shoot for " The Members' Handi-
cap," at five birds each; under the usual conditions for
prizes given out of the Club funds, "for members only who
have paid up their subscriptions for the current year.
There were 127 entries. Mr. Charles Hambro (post en-
tered) won the second prize in the last•httndicap ; and his
brother, Mr. Percival Hambro (also post entered), in the
competition before that, won the second prize. Ou Satur-
day just one more than a moiay came up to the shooting
point, and 1 o'clock was fixed for commencing, as it was
anticipated, from there being so many shooters, that the
handicap would last all the day. The committee, however,
decided that one bird missed should exclude, and conse-
quently the number of shots was much decreased, thong It,
as it proved, the result would not have been different had
the usual two shots, as at six birds, been allowed ; for three
of the competitors killed all their bird-, and that would
have excluded those who missed one. The birds were
favoured by a very strong breez.,, so that the shooting was
far below the average, and indeed most of the crack shots
failed to score. There were 139 birds shot at, and of these
65 were missed, so that the gentlemen must have been
heavy losers, as G to 4 and 2 to 1 on the four was the cur-
rent state of the odds. The asterisk (* thus) denotes that
the shooter used /oz. of sho,t less than the usual charge,
and therefore stood back half a yard from his handicapped
distance; the figures denote the distances at which the
shooters stood :—Viscount Holmesdale, M.P., 251; Mr F'
Fraser, 28 ; Captain Walter da Winton, 28/ ; Mr Henry
Rudd, 27 ; Sir Charles Mordaunt, M.P., 25/ ; Mr G. V•
Blois, 27; Mons. G. Andre, 27; Mr Frederick Norris, 261;
Captain Nisbett (post entry), '26 ; Mr J. P. Smith, 261;
Captain A. L. Ricardo, 26; Mr John Davis, 26; Captain
G. Chalmers,* 251; Mr. H. Padwick, jun., 26 ; SirChatles
Legard, 25 ; Mr G. G. Brodie, 251; Captain Norman Bur-
nand, 251; Mr H. Martin Kennard, 251; Captain Arthur
Burnand, 25; Mr W. Morris, 25; Dr Sharpe, 23; Mr ll'
Blackborne, 25 ; Mr L. L. Dillwyn, M.P.,* 241; Mr F. P.
Chappell, 25 ; Mr C. J. Monck, M.P.,* 231; Mr G Batt-
cock, 25 ; Mr. Edward Boultbee, 23 ; Mr S. T. Cooper, 23;
Mr Clarke Thornhill,* 221; Mr James Bird, 22 ; and Mr
J. H. Clarke, 241. In the second round there was another
long list of " missing," many birds, however, being ill
the " wounded" though not the "killed." Those disposed of
were Mr Spencer Lucy, 29 ; Sir H. Hume-Campbell, 27i
Mr J. B. Short, 28; Viscount Stormont (President of the Gall
Club), 27; Mr. W. G. Lister Lane, 261; Captain Beebe'''.
vine, 30 ; Mr. H. Leslie Leshe, 26; the Hon. Rowland G.
Hill (Vice President of the Gun Club), 251; Mr. IL Bas
Reid, 26; Mr H. Beaumont, M.P., 261; Mr Wales
Lysley, 26; Mr Edgar Larking, 251; Captain H. F. Pent/
25; Mr. A. De Vere Beauclerk, 25/; Mr R. Percival
Evans,* 25; Mr C. Hammersley, 22; Mr. Henry Smith'
25; Mr. J. S. Scott, 24; and Mr: C. C. Coningham,* 23r,
The retired division was further augmented in the third
round by seven gentlemen failing to kill, viz.:—Sir
ter Carew, 23/ ; Mr. W. St.. Julien Arabin, 27 ; CaPialu
Hervey Talbot, 251; Mr. T. Glenton, 26 ; Le Comte de
Gentre, 241; Mr Samuel .ateson,* 241; and Mr. W. Fin"
Die, 241. In the fourth round four more took their seats,
to wit, Major Longley, ME., 26; Mr E. Maxwell, 24;
Mr J. Lamont, M.P., 26 ; and Mr William Gregory,
26/. Of the five left in for the last round, Mr'
Harcourt Lees (post entry), 26; and Mr. Edward MeYricic
25, shot harmlessly, leaving the Earl of Winchilsea (post_
entry) 251; Mr. J. Jee, V.C., C. 8., 23, and Sir floral po,
tinger, 25, who each killed, to shoot off the 'ties for the
three prizes. There was a large amount of money sPe°l7,
lated on the finish, £lOO to £5O being laid several tira.4›
against naming the winner, and Sir Henry Pottinger being_
selected. They each killed, the Earl of Winchilsea with fie;
second-barrel shot. At the second birds Sir Henry plisse
Mr. Jee and the Earl of Winchilsea killing with their second
`lrtrrels amid great cheering and excitement. £lOO to £BO
was offered and freely taken for each to win, and Mr. Jee
missing, the Earl of Winchilsea again effectively used the
second barrel, and won the first prize, £7O, Mr. Jee iekl,l3g
.
the second, £2O, and Sir Henry Pottinger the third, .4'l.
After the handicap 55 members shot a sweepstakes, at
each, of which Sir Charles Legard took the first sbar;
£4O, and Sir Walter Carew .£l5 ; after which 24 ruembev.
had another sweepstakes at £1 each, which Mr 61; tie
Blois and Mr Berkeley Lucy divided. Offer supplied
er
birds, and Mr George Arthur Battcock was handieaghs
and'referee. The next important event will be , :`,„11
Gold Challenge Cup," to bo shot for on Saturday the
inst„ and there are already nearly 80 entries.