n to
pieces, otherwise I must have met with some among the immense number
which I saw. On the top of Tabanyama, for instance, the whole ground was
littered at the time of my visit with shattered mantles and leaden
cores, deformed almost past recognition.

[Illustration: FIG. 35.--Apical Lee-Metford Ricochets. From Hythe
targets. Tendency of cupro-nickel envelope to tear in transverse
direction]

The specimens depicted in figs. 35 and 36 indicate--(1) a greater
malleability on the part of the mantle; thus in fig. 35 the cupro-nickel
is obviously hammered and flattened out, while the fissures are neither
numerous nor extensive. (2) Both bullets exhibit transverse tearing of
the mantle, a common feature in Lee-Metford ricochets, of which I could
offer other examples, but which I less often observed in Mauser
bullets. (3) Tear is the term best expressing the nature of the
fissures, while fracture more nearly expresses the nature of the
fissures in the Mauser mantles. (4) Fig. 36 shows a mushroomed core and
split mantle, which may be compared with the similarly deformed Mauser
depicted in fig. 31. I think the variation in appearance is
characteristic, the fissuring of the mantle being much less extreme,
while the leaden core is normal at its base in consequence of the
support afforded by the more tenacious cupro-nickel mantle. With regard
to complete splitting of the mantles, however, I must add that free
Lee-Metford mantles are often found from bullets fired at the target or
elsewhere, and Nimier and Laval figure numerous forms.[11]

[Illustration: FIG. 36.--Apical Lee-Metford Target Ricochet. Well-marked
'mushrooming' of core. 'Torn' nature of the fissures in the mantle and
limited extent. Compare with fig. 32]

_Expanding bullets._--The wounds resulting from perforation with
deformed regulation bullets, such as are described above, differ for the
most part by deviation from the type appearances, and a tendency to take
a less favourable course on account of their increased size and of the
greater degree of laceration of the tissues accompanying them. I must
now pass on to the consideration of the forms of bullet especially
likely to occasion those wounds spoken of as 'explosive' in character,
and my remarks on these must be prefaced by a short description of the
varieties which were in use during the campaign.

[Illustration: FIG. 37.--Four Soft-nosed Bullets from Boer trenches.

From left to right: 1. Mauser (.275)