raise or lower the leaf. There is but a single sight notch, located at the free end of the leaf. The sides and base of the bed are graduated in hectometres.

The magazine, similar to the magazines of all Mauser guns, consists of a sheetmetal case integrally formed with the trigger-guard, mounted adjacent to the breech casing, and wholly embedded in the wooden stock. Five cartridges are arranged in quincunx form (by which the depth required is reduced to a minimum) and rest on a carrier actuated by a spring. The uppermost cartridge constantly bears against one of the edges of the magazine opening, but is prevented from passing the edge by lateral springs which must be withdrawn when the cartridges are introduced: The cartridge can drop below the lip of the carrier only at the forward end, when driven by the bolt into the barrel-chamber. The Mannlicher loader used in the old gun is discarded for the Mauser loading-strip which holds the cartridges only by the bottom. To fill the magazine, the loading-strip with its cartridges is placed on the breech-casing, as shown by the dotted lines of one of our illustrations. By pressing upon the upper cartridge with the thumb, all the cartridges instantly slide into the magazine. The empty strip is then removed.

The 20-centimetre dagger-bayonet of the old weapon has given place to a 50-centimetre sword-bayonet provided with a flaring end. For the infantry and chasseurs the back of the bayonet is serrated to form saw-teeth. Prospective colonial expeditions have probably led the German War Office to lengthen the bayonet. It should be. remarked that the bayonet is fixed only to the forestock, so that its weight can in no way affect the barrel.

The new gun weighs 4 kilogrammes 100 grammes (without the bayonet, which weighs 430 grammes). Its extreme range is 4,000 metres. At 100 metres 80 centimetres of dry pine can be pierced; and at 1,800 metres 50 centimetres of dry pine can be penetrated. At 300 metres 7 millimetres of iron can be pierced. But at no distance has it been possible to penetrate 9.5 millimetres of good steel. The velocity of the projectile at 25 metres from the muzzle is 620 metres per second. The ballistic value of the gun is not greater than that of the model of 1888.-Scientific American.

The official accounts of the recruiting operations for 1899 were presented to the German Reichstag on 14th November last. The following were the results :-The number of young men who arrived at the military age amounted to 716,998. By adding those who were put back in 1898 (486,978), in 1897 (362,568), and in the previous classes (130,216), 1,696,760 men were obtained as the total number of the recruiting resources. The classification was made as follows:

REMARKS.

a Two years for those posted direct to Landwehr.

b (1.) This shows ordinary course of service.

(2.) Landsturm liability is from 19 to 42 years of age.

(3.) Men posted direct to Landwehr serve with Colours two years, in Landwehr Reserve ten years, and in Landsturm as shown.

c Army is recruited by annual contingents, the strength of which is fixed yearly by a special law. Numbers for the annual contingents are obtained by drawing lots among the men who during that year will attain the age of 20. Men who draw a number which renders them liable to serve can obtain a substitute on payment of £64.

Those

d 1 or 2 years for certain categories, who are excused from serving the whole 3 years. who serve for 1 year, practically only do 10 months' service, but they are liable to perform 4 weeks' training in their 3rd year of service.

i A Bill is before the Dutch Parliament to alter terms of service to 8 years in Active Army and Reserve, and 7 years in Landwehr.

The Schutterij is to be abolished.

j 18 months for those who do two years' service only.

k Under ordinary conditions: varies from 4 to 1 for men with certain educational qualifications.

/ Three years is the average colour service, on paper; but as the number of men with the necessary educational qualifications is comparatively small, the actual average length of colour service is nearer 4 years.

m This has never been done.

n The scheme for the re-organisation of the Swedish Army, introducing general conscription, to be laid before the Riksdag next session, allows for a total service of 365 days.

For Infantry service with colours 245 days; third, fourth, and fifth years, 35 days each; and ninth year, 15 days. Total 365 days.

o Reduced on payment of a tax: frequently extended.

p Is actually recruited by volunteering, but conscription may be enforced, and was in the Civil War. The voluntary service varies in different States; in New York it is for five to seven years.

INDIA. The following communication from Captain De Prée, R.H.A., may be of interest:-"The following records of a batch of Mannlicher cartridges may be of some use to the soldier sportsman, even if of no interest from a military point of view. Early in the spring of 1898, intending to shoot in the East African Protectorate, I purchased from Messrs. George Gibbs, gunmakers, 1,100 Mannlicher cartridges loaded with Schwab powder and various patterns of bullets. These were sent out for me to Bombay. As I was unable to get my leave at that time, the cartridges spent the year in a warehouse in Bombay.

"In April, 1899, Captain Hankey, R.H.A., and I, took them out to the East African Protectorate, where we shot every kind of game with them, from the largest bull elephants to ducks on the rivers. After six months in that country I had some 300 left, which I took back to Rawul Pindi. On leaving India at the beginning of 1900, I left these behind. Captain Roberts, R.G.A., took some to Chitral, where he was most successful with them against the ibex. And this mail a letter has arrived from Captain Cairnes, R.F.A., in which he describes a shoot with them in the Siwaliks.

The following is an extract from this :-Once more I decided the Mannlicher is the best. Both sambur were long shoots, 250 yards and 300 yards, but I hit both in the shoulder, and they did not go 15 yards. I only missed one shot with the Mannlicher and that was through over-estimating the distance, as the beast was standing in the shade on the next ridge. I was using the cartridges I got from you, and they are still perfectly good.'

"The cartridges have been for over three years in every temperature and at every elevation from the sea level at the equator to far up the Himalayas without a failure, and I think it would be hard to devise a more searching test in the ordinary course of events."

FRANCE.-The nature and duration of the autumn manoeuvres for 1901 have been fixed as follows in the Bulletin Officiel :

I. Army Maneuvres.

Two army manoeuvres will take place under the chief direction of General Brugère, Vice-President of the Conseil supérieur de la Guerre.

a. One will be in the Eastern District, at which the Ist, IInd, VIth, and XXth Army Corps and four cavalry divisions (the 2nd, 3rd, less the 1st Cuirassier Brigade, 4th, and 5th) will take part.

b. One in the Western District, at which the XIth and XVIIIth Army Corps, the 34th Infantry Brigade of the IXth, and the 46th of the XIIth Army Corps, the 1st Cuirassier Brigade of the 3rd Cavalry Division, and the 7th Hussar Regiment will take part.

II. Brigade Manœuvres.

Other army corps will execute brigade manoeuvres for a period of 12 days, including the date of assembly and return.

III. Cavalry Manœuvres.

Two cavalry divisional manœuvres will take place. At the first the 7th Cavalry Division and the 7th and 8th Cavalry Brigades will take part. In the second the 5th Cuirassier and the 6th Dragoon Brigades, the 6th Cavalry Division and the 14th Cavalry Brigade will take part. No brigade evolutions will take place this year. In addition to the cavalry already mentioned, the brigades of corps cavalry and the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Cavalry Divisions will assist at the army manoeuvres.

IV. Fortress Manœuvres.

Fortress manoeuvres will take place at the camp at Chalons.

V. General.

The direction and organisation of the Army, the Cavalry and the Fortress Manoeuvres will form the subject of special instructions. Brigade manœuvres will be carried out in conformity with the General Instructions of the 18th February, 1895.

The 4th Battalions of regiments belonging to the IXth, Xth, and XIIth Army Corps, stationed at Paris, those of regiments belonging to the VIth, VIIth, and XXth Army Corps which garrison fortified places at the frontier forts, as well as those of regiments of the XIth and XVIIIth Army Corps, will not participate in army or brigade manœuvres. All the other 4th Battalions will march with their regiments.

It is strictly forbidden, in all army corps carrying out brigade manoeuvres, to modify the nature of the manoeuvres laid down for each unit, or to assemble in greater strength than that which that unit consists of.

Under the reservations laid down for artillery horses by the ministerial despatch of the 30th March, 1900, and for thoroughbred horses by the despatch of the 14th August, 1900, it is still forbidden to take troop horses aged under 7 years to manoeuvres of any kind. A group of two field batteries will, as a rule, be attached to each brigade in army corps carrying out brigade manœuvres. In addition to the manoeuvres mentioned in the present circular, manoeuvres will be carried out in the Alps and Vosges, as well as in Algeria and Tunis. These manoeuvres will later form the subject of special instructions.

VI. Staff Rides and Cadres Manœuvres.

Staff rides will be carried out in each army corps and in the Military Government of Paris. In the XIVth and XVth Districts the staff rides of army corps will be replaced by special rides which will be regulated by instructions that will be issued later. Two manoeuvres with active divisional calres, and one with reserve divisional cadres will be carried out in all army corps, with the exception of the VIth and VIIth. A manœuvre with fortress cadres will, in addition take place in the Xth Army Corps. In both the VIth and VIIth Army Corps there will be three manœuvres with active

and one with reserve divisional cadres. The Lyons district brigade will carry out a brigade cadres manœuvre. General officers commanding army corps who are desirous of organising an army corps cadres manoeuvre, will send in a scheme by the 15th March. Three brigade cadres manoeuvres will be carried out in the XIXth Army Corps, and one in the Tunis Occupation Division.

The 7 cavalry divisions and the 6 districts of permanent inspection of cavalry will each carry out a divisional cadres manoeuvre.

Researches with regard to gunnery questions and to gunnery instruction are carried out in the artillery by means of :

1. A board for the practical study of gunnery residing at Poitiers. This
board is charged with the study and investigation, according to lines
approved by the Minister of War, of the best methods to employ in the
firing of field guns, and to submit to him proposals with a view to the
laying down of, and to the improvement of, the regulation methods.
2. A practical course of field gunnery established at Poitiers, with the object of
practising captains in the application of the regulation methods of field
gunnery, and, in addition, to prepare a certain number of majors in
conducting the fire of several batteries and in the supervision of practice-
camps.

3. A board, with headquarters at Toul, for the practical study of the duty of
artillery in the attack and defence of places.

4. A practical course of siege and position artillery gunnery established at the camp of Chalons, and under the supervision of the board mentioned in paragraph 3. Officers of foot artillery battalions, and officers attached to the artillery staff, and to that of fortified places, in the event of war, undergo this course.

5. A board, established at Toulon, for the practical study of coast artillery, and charged with the study of methods of gunnery, experimenting with measuring instruments and matériel, and, in a general way, to carry out all investigations regarding coast artillery.

6. A practical course of coast artillery, organised at Toulon, and to which a certain number of artillery officers are sent, who, in the event of mobilisation, would be called upon to fill coast commands.

-Revue du Cercle Militaire.

The fencing horse, devised by Fencing-Master Adjutant Monlun, of the 3rd Regiment of Dragoons, at Nantes, presents the peculiarity that after one has seen it in operation he immediately asks himself why it was not invented a long time ago; it is so simple. But such simplicity does not exclude ingenuity, and in nowise robs M. Monlun of any of the merit of his very practical invention.

Up to the present, recruits have been exercised in the manipulation of the sword in quite a rudimentary way, especially at the inception of their instructions. The young recruit was placed upon any sort of a wooden horse whatever, with stationary dummies arranged around him within easy reach of his hands, one to the right, one to the left, one in front, and one behind. Then he was ordered now to strike one and then another, by cut and thrust, according to the progression of the theory involved. This exercise was tiresome and monotonous, and consequently did not give the result desired. With Adjutant Monlun's mechanism all this is changed. The tedious exercise of former times becomes exciting and pretty closely resembles real fighting. The soldier's amour-propre enters into it, and something of the unexpected always occurs. The instructor himself, in manipulating the controlling wheel, becomes warmed up and ends by identifying himself with the dummy, which he turns in every direction and every position around his pupil. The latter, while complying with the regulations and with the orders of the instructor, introduces into his work an ardour and an