GENERAL REPORT OF THE JUDGES OF GROUP XVI. SIEGE-ARTILLERY. The experience derived from the Franco-German War of 1870, and from recent experiments both in Germany and England, will doubt less result in considerable modifications being made in the rules as now laid down for the conduct of sieges. The marvelous accuracy of modern artillery will render the use of the embrasure a practical impossibility, except under peculiar circumstances of position and dis tance; and the production of a simple and strong siege-carriage, from which direct fire can be obtained with the minimum exposure of gun and detachment, is recognized to be a great desideratum. Of late years much attention has been given to the subject of rifled siege- artillery, particularly rifled mortars, and the following table gives the weights and dimensions of various pieces now in use. TABLE GIVING THE WEIGHTS AND DIMENSIONS OF SIEGE-ARTIL LERY, 1875. Note.—The following abbreviations are used: S. and W. I. — steel and wrought iron. S. —steel. B.— bronze. C. I. —cast iron. NATIONS. Calibre, Inches. Length of Bore, Inches. Number of Grooves. Weight of Shell Filled, Pounds. Bursting Charge, Pounds. Total Weight of Gun, Cwts. Service Charge, Pounds. Material of Gun. 1 I I System of Loading. Muzzle Velocity, Feet. United States. ioo-pounder Parrot 6.4 130 9 IOl 5-5 86.6 10 C. & W. I. M. L. 1250 30-pounder Parrot 4.2 120 5 29 i-5 37*5 3.2 C. & w. I. M. L. I2 93 4j£-inch gun 4-5 120 11 25.5 1-5 30.8 3.2 C. I. M. L. 1303 England. 64-pounder 6.3 97-5 3 64.6 7 64.5 10 S. &W. I. M. L. 1375 40-pounder 4-7 85.S 3 38 2.6 35 7 S. & W. I. M. L. 1336 8-inch howitzer 8 48 4 180 13 46 10 s. & w. 1. M. L. 790 France. 24-pounder 6 79.2 6 52-9 2.2 40.4 5-5 B. M. L. 955 12-pounder 4.8 78.9 6 25-3 Z.l 17.1 2.6 B. M. L. 1040 Germany. 15-centimetre long... 5-9 119.6 37 61.7 4-2 59 13.2 S. S. B. L. B. L. 1542 15-centimetre short 5-9 73-9 24 61.1 4-4 29 5 3-3 12-pounder 4-7 75-3 18 32 1.1 17.1 2 3 •B. B. L. 978 21-centimetre gun 8.2 H4-5 30 174 10.5 76 M-3 S. B. L. 984 2i-centimetre mortar 8.2 30 174 10.5 34-8 4-4 B. L. 545 Russia. 6 113.9 84 64.2 32 6-3 3-1 . S. B. L. 12-pounder. 4-8 18 1.2 18.5 B. B. L. 1006 8-inch gun.. 8 113.5 30 176 6.1 102.2 I7.2 B. B. L. 1050 8-inch mortar 8 54-2 30 176 14 78.2 *5-3 B. L. 826 Italy. 16-centimetre'. 6-5 107 6 65.2 2.6 60.5 7 C. I. M. L. 1092 12-centunetre 4.8 76.4 6 24.6 . 1.1 14-4 2.6 B. M. L. 1117 22-centimetre howitzer... 8.8 78.3 6 *54-3 7-7 55-5 7-7 B. M. L. 732 Austria. 24-pounder 5-9 87.1 30 60.8 2.2 30 3-4 C. I. B. L. 804 12-pounder 4-7 9 8 -3 24 30 1.2 20.3 2.4 C. I. B. L. 570 8-inch mortar 1 8.2 60.1 30 193 8.9 98.8 11.1 L. I. B. L. 718