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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7fc9a8 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #50944 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/50944) diff --git a/old/50944-0.txt b/old/50944-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 4c7bd58..0000000 --- a/old/50944-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6807 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Salmonia, by Humphrey Davy - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - -Title: Salmonia - Days of Fly Fishing - -Author: Humphrey Davy - -Release Date: January 17, 2016 [EBook #50944] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SALMONIA *** - - - - -Produced by Sonya Schermann and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - Transcriber’s Note - -When italics were used in the original book, the corresponding text has -been surrounded by _underscores_. Some corrections have been made to the -printed text. These are listed in a second transcriber’s note at the end -of the text. - - - - - SALMONIA: - - OR - - DAYS OF FLY FISHING. - - IN - - A SERIES OF CONVERSATIONS. - - WITH - - SOME ACCOUNT OF THE HABITS OF FISHES BELONGING - TO THE GENUS SALMO. - - BY AN ANGLER. - - - ——“Equidem credo quia sit divinitus illis Ingenium.” - - - FIRST AMERICAN FROM THE SECOND LONDON EDITION. - - - - - PHILADELPHIA: - CAREY AND LEA—CHESNUT STREET. - ........ - 1832. - - - E. MERRIAM AND CO. PRINTERS, - Brookfield, Mass. - - - - - TO - - WILLIAM BABINGTON, - - M.D. F.R.S. - - THESE CONVERSATIONS ARE DEDICATED, - - IN REMEMBRANCE - - OF SOME DELIGHTFUL DAYS PASSED IN HIS - - SOCIETY, - - AND IN GRATITUDE - - FOR AN UNINTERRUPTED FRIENDSHIP OF - - A - - QUARTER OF A CENTURY. - - - - - PREFACE. - - -THESE pages formed the occupation of the Author during some months of -severe and dangerous illness, when he was wholly incapable of attending -to more useful studies, or of following more serious pursuits. They -constituted his amusement in many hours, which otherwise would have been -unoccupied and tedious; and they are published in the hope, that they -may possess an interest for those persons, who derive pleasure from the -simplest and most attainable kind of rural sports, and who practice the -art, or patronize the objects of contemplation, of the Philosophical -Angler. - -The conversational manner and discursive style were chosen as best -suited to the state of health of the Author, who was incapable of -considerable efforts and long-continued attention; and he could not but -have in mind a model, which has fully proved the utility and popularity -of this method of treating the subject—_The Complete Angler_, by Walton -and Cotton. - -The characters, chosen to support these Conversations, are—HALIEUS, who -is supposed to be an accomplished fly fisher; ORNITHER, who is to be -regarded as a gentleman generally fond of the sports of the field, -though not a finished master of the art of angling; POIETES, who is to -be considered as an enthusiastic lover of nature, and partially -acquainted with the mysteries of fly fishing; and PHYSICUS, who is -described uninitiated as an angler, but as a person fond of inquiries in -natural history and philosophy. - -These personages are of course imaginary, though the sentiments -attributed to them, the Author may sometimes have gained from -recollections of real conversations with friends, from whose society -much of the happiness of his early life has been derived; and in the -portrait of the character of HALIEUS, given in the last dialogue, a -likeness, he thinks, will not fail to be recognized to that of the -character of a most estimable Physician, ardently beloved by his -friends, and esteemed and venerated by the public. - -He has limited his description of fish to the varieties of the Salmo -most usual in the fresh waters of Europe, and which may be defined as a -genus having eight fins, the one above the tail fleshy, and without -spines. - -It is to be hoped M. Cuvier’s new work on fishes will supply accurate -information on this genus, which is still very imperfectly known. - - _Laybach, Illyria, - Sep. 30, 1828._ - - - - - CONTENTS. - - - FIRST DAY. - -Vindication of fly-fishing—Poem in praise of Walton—Distinguished - anglers—Fishing, a natural, philosophical, and scientific - pursuit—Scenery—Fish possessed of little sensibility—Praise of - fly-fishing—Field-sports related to natural history—Proposed fishing - excursion—Comparison of a river to human life - - Page 13-29 - - SECOND DAY. - -Trout fishing—Flies—May-fly and gray drake—Alder fly—Object of - fishing—Escape of a fish after being hooked—Sense of smelling in - fish—Baits—The natural fly—Pricked trout—Local habits of animals—Trout - of the Colne—Throwing the fly—Trout described—Spots on - trout—Perch—Anecdote—Haunts of trout—Evening fishing—Management of a - fish when hooked—Flies of different seasons—Fishing season—Difference - of the gillaroo from trout—Diminution of flies in some rivers—Gillaroo - trout found only in Ireland—Par or samlet—Other varieties of trout—Dr. - Darwin—Experiment on trout by Mr. Tonkin of Polgaron—Cause of the - varieties of trout—Mule fish—Crossing the breed—Impregnation of the - ova of fish—Experiment of Mr. Jacobi on this point—Causes that hasten - or retard the maturity of the ova—Why fish approach shallows to - spawn—Admiration of the designs of Providence - - 30-91 - - THIRD DAY. - -Morning fishing—Effect of shadows in fishing—Anecdotes illustrating the - effect of sunshine—Swallows - - 92-98 - - FOURTH DAY. - -Scenery—Loch Maree—Eagles—The inn—The river Ewe—Sea trout—Poaching - highlander—Salmon—Cause of fish being drowned—Salmon—Death by - suffocation—Nature of pain—Instances of death without pain—Sea - trout—Crimping—The dinner—The double snipe—Value of temperance in - eating and drinking—Wading in boots a bad practice—Salmon and trout - compared—Varieties of salmon - - 99-132 - - FIFTH DAY. - -Salmon fishing—Produce of a morning’s sport—Rivers of Norway and - Sweden—English rivers—Salmon rivers—Scotch rivers—Irish rivers—The - Sabbath day—Instincts—Instincts to animals what revelation is to man - - 133-170 - - SIXTH DAY. - -Flies—Hooks—Salmon of the Ewe—Sense of smelling in animals—Salmon - fishing with pars—Food of Salmon—Indications of rainy weather—Omens - - 171-191 - - SEVENTH DAY. - -Grayling—Anatomy of the grayling—Grayling fishing—Scenery—Habits of the - grayling—Grayling rivers—Baits for grayling—Generation of - eels—Migration of eels—The conger eel - - 192-225 - - EIGHTH DAY. - -Scenery—Natural history—Origin of the common house fly—Bees and ants—The - libellula—Ephemeræ—Michaelmas daisy—Humble bee—Thoughts on death, - suggested by this insect - - 226-243 - - NINTH DAY. - -Fishing for hucho—Hereditary instinct—Causes of variety in trout—Salmo - hucho—Taking a salmo hucho—Resemblance of the hucho to trout—Interior - of the hucho examined—Habits of the hucho—Pleasure of - angling—Cockney fishermen—Lame boy and his boats—Amusements—Sea - serpent—Kraken—Mermaid—Austrian method of conveying fish—Education—The - press—Effect of continuous fishing—Difference of rivers—Angling - for frogs—Water ouzel—Umbla—Laveret—Organization of the - hucho—Craniology—Fat and flesh of the hucho—Naturalization of fish—The - Traun—Colour of water—Colour of the ocean—Waterfalls—Reflections—The - late Mr. B. West - - 245-308 - - ADDITIONAL NOTES. - -Estimable mention of Dr. Wollaston—On the supposed cross breed of the - par—On the scolopax - - 309 - - - - - SALMONIA: - - OR, - - DAYS OF FLY FISHING. - - - - - FIRST DAY. - - HALIEUS—POIETES—PHYSICUS—ORNITHER. - - INTRODUCTORY CONVERSATION—SYMPOSIAC. - - - _Scene, London._ - -PHYS.—HALIEUS, I dare say you know where this excellent trout was -caught: I never ate a better fish of the kind. - -HAL.—I ought to know, as it was this morning in the waters of the -Wandle, not ten miles from the place where we sit, and it is through my -means that you see it at table. - -PHYS.—Of your own catching? - -HAL.—Yes, with the artificial fly. - -PHYS.—I admire the fish, but I cannot admire the art by which it was -taken; and I wonder how a man of your active mind and enthusiastic -character can enjoy what appears to me a stupid and melancholy -occupation. - -HAL.—I might as well wonder in my turn, that a man of your discursive -imagination and disposition to contemplation should not admire this -occupation, and that you should venture to call it either stupid or -melancholy. - -PHYS.—I have at least the authority of a great moralist, Johnson, for -its folly. - -HAL.—I will allow no man, however great a philosopher, or moralist, to -abuse an occupation he has not tried; and as well as I remember, this -same illustrious person praised the book and the character of the great -Patriarch of Anglers, Isaac Walton. - -PHYS.—There is another celebrated man, however, who has abused this your -patriarch, Lord Byron, and that in terms not very qualified. He calls -him, as well as I can recollect, “A quaint old cruel coxcomb.”[1] I must -say, a practice of this great fisherman, where he recommends you to pass -the hook through the body of a frog with care, as though you loved him, -in order to keep him alive longer, cannot but be considered as cruel. - -HAL.—I do not justify either the expression or the practice of Walton in -this instance; but remember, _I_ fish only with inanimate baits, or -imitations of them, and I will not exhume or expose the ashes of the -dead, nor vindicate the memory of Walton, at the expense of Byron, who, -like Johnson, was no fisherman: but the moral and religious habits of -Walton, his simplicity of manners, and his well-spent life, exonerate -him from the charge of cruelty; and the book of a coxcomb would not have -been so great a favourite with most persons of refined taste. A noble -lady, long distinguished at court for pre-eminent beauty and grace, and -whose mind possesses undying charms, has written some lines in my copy -of Walton, which, if you will allow me, I will repeat to you. - - Albeit, gentle Angler, I - Delight not in thy trade, - Yet in thy pages there doth lie - So much of quaint simplicity, - So much of mind, - Of such good kind, - That none need be afraid, - Caught by thy cunning bait, this book, - To be ensnared on thy hook. - - Gladly from thee, I’m lured to bear - With things that seem’d most vile before, - For thou didst on poor subjects rear - Matter the wisest sage might hear. - And with a grace, - That doth efface - More labour’d works, thy simple lore - Can teach us that thy skilful _lines_, - More than the scaly brood _confines_. - - Our hearts and senses, too, we see, - Rise quickly at thy master hand, - And, ready to be caught by thee, - Are lured to virtue willingly. - Content and peace, - With health and ease, - Walk by thy side. At thy command - We bid adieu to worldly care, - And joy in gifts that all may share. - - Gladly, with thee, I pace along, - And of sweet fancies dream; - Waiting till some inspired song, - Within my memory cherish’d long, - Comes fairer forth, - With more of worth; - Because that time upon its stream - Feathers and chaff will bear away, - But give to gems a brighter ray. - - C. C. 1812. - -And though the charming and intellectual author of this poem is not an -angler herself, yet I can quote the example of her lovely daughters to -vindicate fly fishing from the charge of cruelty, and to prove that the -most delicate and refined minds can take pleasure in this innocent -amusement. One of these young ladies, I am told, is a most accomplished -and skilful salmon fisher. And if you require a poetical authority -against that of Lord Byron, I mention the philosophical and powerful -poet of the lakes, and the author of - - “An Orphic tale indeed, - A tale divine, of high and passionate thoughts, - To their own music chanted;”[2] - -who is a lover both of fly fishing and fly fishermen. Gay’s poem you -know, and his passionate fondness for the amusement, which was his -principal occupation in the summer at Amesbury; and the late excellent -John Tobin, author of the Honey Moon, was an ardent angler. - -PHYS.—I am satisfied with your poetical authorities. - -HAL.—Nay, I can find authorities of all kinds, statesmen, heroes, and -philosophers; I can go back to Trajan, who was fond of angling. Nelson -was[3] a good fly fisher, and as a proof of his passion for it, -continued the pursuit even with his left hand. Dr. Paley was ardently -attached to this amusement; so much so, that when the Bishop of Durham -inquired of him, when one of his most important works would be finished, -he said, with great simplicity and good humour, “My Lord, I shall work -steadily at it when the fly fishing season is over,” as if this were a -business of his life. And I am rather reserved in introducing living -characters, or I could give a list of the highest names of Britain, -belonging to modern times, in science, letters, arts, and arms, who are -ornaments of this fraternity, to use the expression borrowed from the -freemasonry of our forefathers. - -PHYS.—I do not find much difficulty in understanding why warriors, and -even statesmen, fishers of men, many of whom I have known particularly -fond of hunting and shooting, should likewise be attached to angling; -but I own, I am at a loss to find reasons for a love of this pursuit -amongst philosophers and poets. - -HAL.—The search after food is an instinct belonging to our nature; and -from the savage in his rudest and most primitive state, who destroys a -piece of game, or a fish, with a club or spear, to man in the most -cultivated state of society, who employs artifice, machinery, and the -resources of various other animals, to secure his object, the origin of -the pleasure is similar, and its object the same: but that kind of it -requiring most art may be said to characterize man in his highest or -intellectual state; and the fisher for salmon and trout with the fly -employs not only machinery to assist his physical powers, but applies -sagacity to conquer difficulties; and the pleasure derived from -ingenious resources and devices, as well as from active pursuit, belongs -to this amusement. Then as to its philosophical tendency, it is a -pursuit of moral discipline, requiring patience, forbearance, and -command of temper. As connected with natural science, it may be vaunted -as demanding a knowledge of the habits of a considerable tribe of -created beings—fishes, and the animals that they prey upon, and an -acquaintance with the signs and tokens of the weather and its changes, -the nature of waters, and of the atmosphere. As to its poetical -relations, it carries us into the most wild and beautiful scenery of -nature; amongst the mountain lakes, and the clear and lovely streams -that gush from the higher ranges of elevated hills, or that make their -way through the cavities of calcareous strata. How delightful in the -early spring, after the dull and tedious time of winter, when the frosts -disappear and the sunshine warms the earth and waters, to wander forth -by some clear stream, to see the leaf bursting from the purple bud, to -scent the odours of the bank perfumed by the violet, and enamelled, as -it were, with the primrose and the daisy; to wander upon the fresh turf -below the shade of trees, whose bright blossoms are filled with the -music of the bee; and on the surface of the waters to view the gaudy -flies sparkling like animated gems in the sunbeams, whilst the bright -and beautiful trout is watching them from below; to hear the twittering -of the water-birds, who, alarmed at your approach, rapidly hide -themselves beneath the flowers and leaves of the water-lily; and as the -season advances, to find all these objects changed for others of the -same kind, but better and brighter, till the swallow and the trout -contend as it were for the gaudy May fly, and till in pursuing your -amusement in the calm and balmy evening, you are serenaded by the songs -of the cheerful thrush and melodious nightingale, performing the offices -of paternal love, in thickets ornamented with the rose and woodbine. - -PHYS.—All these enjoyments might be obtained without the necessity of -torturing and destroying an unfortunate animal, that the true lover of -nature would wish to see happy in a scene of loveliness. - -HAL.—If all men were Pythagoreans and professed the Brahmin’s creed, it -would undoubtedly be cruel to destroy any form of animated life; but if -fish are to be eaten, I see no more harm in capturing them by skill and -ingenuity with an artificial fly, than in pulling them out of the water -by main force with the net; and in general, when taken by the common -fishermen, fish are permitted to die slowly, and to suffer in the air, -from the want of their natural element; whereas, every good angler, as -soon as his fish is landed, either destroys his life immediately, if he -is wanted for food, or returns him into the water. - -PHYS.—But do you think nothing of the torture of the hook, and the fear -of capture, and the misery of struggling against the powerful rod? - -HAL.—I have already admitted the danger of analysing, too closely, the -moral character of any of our field sports; yet I think it cannot be -doubted that the nervous system of fish, and cold-blooded animals in -general, is less sensitive than that of warm-blooded animals. The hook -usually is fixed in the cartilaginous part of the mouth, where there are -no nerves; and a proof that the sufferings of a hooked fish cannot be -great is found in the circumstance, that though a trout has been hooked -and played for some minutes, he will often, after his escape with the -artificial fly in his mouth, take the natural fly, and feed as if -nothing had happened; having apparently learnt only from the experiment, -that the artificial fly is not proper food. And I have caught pikes with -four or five hooks in their mouths, and tackle which they had broken -only a few minutes before; and the hooks seemed to have had no other -effect than that of serving as a sort of _sauce piquante_, urging them -to seize another morsel of the same kind. - -PHYS.—Fishes are mute, and cannot plead, even in the way that birds and -quadrupeds do, their own cause; yet the instances you quote only prove -the intense character of their appetites, which seem not so moderate as -Whiston imagined, in his strange philosophical romance on the Deluge; in -which he supposes, that in the antediluvian world the heat was much -greater than in this, and that all terrestrial and aerial animals had -their passions so exalted by this high temperature, that they were lost -in sin, and destroyed for their crimes; but that fish, living in a -cooler element, were more correct in their lives, and were therefore -spared from the destruction of the primitive world. You have proved, by -your examples, the intensity of the appetite of hunger in fishes; -Spalanzani has given us another proof of the violence of a different -appetite, or instinct, in a cold-blooded animal, that has most of the -habits of the genus—the frog; which, in the breeding season, remains -attached to the female, though a limb, or even his head, is removed from -the body. - -HAL.—This is likewise in favour of my argument, that the sensibility of -this class of animals to physical pain is comparatively small. - -PHYS.—The advocates for a favourite pursuit never want sophisms to -defend it. I have even heard it asserted, that a hare enjoys being -hunted. Yet I will allow that fly-fishing, after your vindication, -appears amongst the least cruel of field-sports;—I can go no farther; as -I have never thought of trying it, I can say nothing of its -agreeableness as an amusement, compared with hunting and shooting. - -HAL.—I wish that you would allow me to convince you, that for a -contemplative man, as you are, and a lover of nature, it is far -superior, more tranquil, more philosophical, and, after the period of -early youth, more fitted for a moderately active body and mind, -requiring less violent exertion; and, pursued with discretion, affording -an exercise conducive to health. There is a river, only a few miles off, -where I am sure I could obtain permission for you, and our friend -Poietes, to fish. - -PHYS.—I am open to conviction on all subjects, and have no objection to -spend one May-day with you in this idle occupation; premising, that you -take at least one other companion, who really loves fishing. - -HAL.—You, who are so fond of natural history, even should you not be -amused by fishing, will, I am sure, find objects of interest on the -banks of the river. - -PHYS.—I fear I am not entomologist enough to follow the life of the -May-fly, but I shall willingly have my attention directed to its habits. -Indeed, I have often regretted that sportsmen were not fonder of -zoology; they have so many opportunities, which other persons do not -possess, of illustrating the origin and qualities of some of the most -curious forms of animated nature; the causes and character of the -migrations of animals; their relations to each other, and their place -and order in the general scheme of the universe. It has always appeared -to me, that the two great sources of change of place of animals, was the -providing of food for themselves, and resting-places and food for their -young. The great supposed migrations of herrings from the poles to the -temperate zone have appeared to me to be only the approach of successive -shoals from deep to shallow water, for the purpose of spawning. The -migrations of salmon and trout are evidently for the purpose of -depositing their ova, or of finding food after they have spawned. -Swallows, and bee-eaters, decidedly pursue flies over half the globe; -the scolopax or snipe tribe, in like manner, search for worms and -larvæ,—flying from those countries where either frost or dryness -prevents them from boring,—making generally small flights at a time, and -resting on their travels where they find food. And a journey from -England to Africa is no more for an animal that can fly, with the wind, -one hundred miles in an hour, than a journey for a Londoner to his seat -in a distant province. And the migrations of smaller fishes or birds -always occasion the migration of larger ones, that prey on them. Thus, -the seal follows the salmon, in summer, to the mouths of rivers; the -hake follows the herring and pilchard; hawks are seen in great -quantities, in the month of May, coming into the east of Europe, after -quails and land-rails; and locusts are followed by numerous birds, that, -fortunately for the agriculturist, make them their prey. - -HAL.—It is not possible to follow the amusement of angling, without -having your attention often directed to the modes of life of fishes, -insects, and birds, and many curious and interesting facts, as it were, -forced upon your observation. I consider you (_Physicus_), as pledged to -make one of our fishing party; and I hope, in a few days, to give you an -invitation to meet a few worthy friends on the banks of the Colne. And -you (_Poietes_), who, I know, are an initiated disciple of Walton’s -school, will, I trust, join us. We will endeavour to secure a fine day; -two hours, in a light carriage with good horses, will carry us to our -ground; and I think I can promise you green meadows, shady trees, the -song of the nightingale, and a full and clear river. - -POIET.—This last is, in my opinion, the most poetical object in nature. -I will not fail to obey your summons. Pliny has, as well as I recollect, -compared a river to human life. I have never read the passage in his -works, but I have been a hundred times struck with the analogy, -particularly amidst mountain scenery. The river, small and clear in its -origin, gushes forth from rocks, falls into deep glens, and wantons and -meanders through a wild and picturesque country, nourishing only the -uncultivated tree or flower by its dew or spray. In this, its state of -infancy and youth, it may be compared to the human mind in which fancy -and strength of imagination are predominant—it is more beautiful than -useful. When the different rills or torrents join, and descend into the -plain, it becomes slow and stately in its motions; it is applied to move -machinery, to irrigate meadows, and to bear upon its bosom the stately -barge;—in this mature state, it is deep, strong, and useful. As it flows -on towards the sea, it loses its force and its motion, and at last, as -it were, becomes lost, and mingled with the mighty abyss of waters. - -HAL.—One might pursue the metaphor still further, and say, that in its -origin—its thundering and foam, when it carries down clay from the bank, -and becomes impure, it resembles the youthful mind, affected by -dangerous passions. And the influence of a lake, in calming and clearing -the turbid water, may be compared to the effect of reason in more mature -life, when the tranquil, deep, cool and unimpassioned mind is freed from -its fever, its troubles, bubbles, noise and foam. And, above all, the -sources of a river—which may be considered as belonging to the -atmosphere—and its termination in the ocean, may be regarded as imaging -the divine origin of the human mind, and its being ultimately returned -to, and lost in, the Infinite and Eternal Intelligence from which it -originally sprung. - - - - - SECOND DAY. - - HALIEUS—POIETES—ORNITHER—PHYSICUS. - - TROUT FISHING, DENHAM.—MAY, 1810. - - - _Morning._ - -HAL.—I AM delighted to see you, my worthy friends, on the banks of the -Colne; and am happy to be able to say, that my excellent host has not -only made you free of the river for this day’s angling, but insists upon -your dining with him,—wishes you to try the evening fishing, and the -fishing to-morrow morning,—and proposes to you, in short, to give up -twenty-four hours to the delights of an angler’s May-day. - -POIET.—We are deeply indebted to him; and I hardly know how we can -accept his offer, without laying ourselves under too great an -obligation. - -HAL.—Fear not: he is as noble minded a man as ever delighted in good -offices; and so benevolent, that I am sure he will be almost as happy in -knowing you are amused, as you can be in your sport; and he hopes for an -additional satisfaction in the pleasure of your conversation. - -POIET.—So let it be. - -HAL.—I will take you to the house; you shall make your bow, and then you -will be all free to follow your own fancies. Remember, the dinner hour -is five; the dressing bell rings at half-past four; be punctual to this -engagement, from which you will be free at seven. - -POIET.—This is really a very charming villa scene, I may almost say, a -pastoral scene. The meadows have the verdure which even the Londoners -enjoy as a peculiar feature of the English landscape. The river is -clear, and has all the beauties of a trout stream, of the larger -size,—there rapid, and here still, and there tumbling in foam and fury -over abrupt dams upon clean gravel, as if pursuing a natural course. And -that island with its poplars and willows, and the flies making it their -summer paradise, and its little fishing-house, are all in character; and -if not extremely picturesque, it is at least a very pleasant scene, from -its verdure and pure waters, for the lovers of our innocent amusement. - -HAL.-It is ten o’clock: you may put up your rods, or take rods from the -hall, for so hospitable is the master of this mansion, that every thing -is supplied to our hands. And Physicus, as you are the only one of our -party ignorant of the art of fly fishing, I will fit you with a rod and -flies; and let me advise you to begin with a line shorter than your rod, -and throw at first slowly and without effort, and imitate us as well as -you can. As for precepts, they are of little value; practice and -imitation will make you an angler. - -POIET.—I shall put together my rod, and fish with my own flies. It may -be fancy, but I always think I do best with tackle with which I am used -to fish. - -HAL.—You are right; for fancy is always something: and when we believe -that we can do things better in a particular way, we really do, by the -influence of imagination, perform them both better and with less effort. -I agree with moralists, that the standard of virtue should be placed -higher than any one can reach; for in trying to rise, man will attain a -more excellent state of being than if no effort were made. But to our -business. As far as the perfection of the material for the angler is -concerned, the flies you find on this table are as good as can be made, -and for this season of the year, there is no great variety on this -river. We have had lately some warm days, and though it is but the 18th -of May, yet I know the May-fly has been out for three or four days, and -this is the best period of this destructive season for the fisherman. -There are, I observe, many male flies on the high trees, and some -females on the alders. - -PHYS.—But I see flies already on the water, which seem of various -colors,—brown and gray, and some very pale,—and the trout appear to rise -at them eagerly. - -HAL.—The fly you see is called by fishermen the alder fly, and appears -generally in large quantities before the May-fly. Imitations of this -fly, and of the green and the gray drake of different shades, are the -only ones you will need this morning, though I doubt if the last can be -much used, as the gray drake is not yet on the water in any quantity. - -PHYS.—Pray can you give us any account of these curious little animals? - -HAL.—We ought to draw upon your stores of science for information on -these subjects. - -PHYS.—I really know nothing of Entomology, but I am desirous of -acquiring knowledge. - -HAL.—I have made few observations on flies as a philosophical -naturalist. What I know I will state at another time. But see, the green -drake is descending upon the water, and some are leaving the alders to -sport in the sunshine, and to enjoy the pleasures of their brilliant, -though short existence; and their life, naturally ephemeral, is made one -of scarcely a moment, by the fishes and birds: that which the swallow or -the duck spares is caught by the fish. The fly is new, and in the -imitation, I recommend the olive tint, or what the Irish call the green -monkey. That is, an artificial fly, with a wing of dyed yellow drake’s -feather, a body of yellow monkey’s fur, and a small quantity of olive -mohair for legs. For myself, I shall fish for some time with a large red -alder fly, and I dare say, with as much success. That is, with a fly -with a dark peacock’s harle for body, a red hackle for legs, and wings -of the land-rail below, and starling above. - -POIET.—The water is quite in motion, what noble fish I see on the feed! -I never beheld a finer sight, though I have often seen the May-fly on -well-stocked waters. - -HAL.—This river is most strictly preserved; not a fish has been killed -here since last August, and this is the moment when the large fish come -to the surface, and leave their cad bait search and minnow hunting. But -I have hardly time to talk; I have hold of a good fish: they take either -alder or May-fly, and having never been fished for this year, they make -no distinction, and greedily seize any small object in motion on the -water. You see the alder-fly is quite as successful as the May-fly; but -there is a fish which has refused it, and because he has been feeding, -glutton-like, on the May-fly: that is the fifth he has swallowed in a -minute. Now I shall throw the drake a foot above him. It floats down, -and he has taken it. A fine fish; I think at least 4lbs. This is the -largest fish we have yet seen, but in the deep water still lower down, -there are still greater fish. One of 5lbs. I have known taken here, and -once a fish a little short only of 6lbs. - -POIET.—I have just landed a fish which I suppose you will consider as a -small one; yet I am tempted to kill him. - -HAL.—He is not a fish to kill, throw him back, he is much under 2lbs., -and, as I ought to have told you before, we are not allowed to kill any -fish of less size; and I am sure we shall all have more than we ought to -carry away even of this size. Pray put him into the well, or rather give -him to the fisherman to turn back into the water. - -POIET.—I cannot say I approve of this manner of fishing: I lose my -labour. - -HAL.—As the object of your fishing, I hope, is innocent amusement, you -can enjoy this, and show your skill in catching the animal; and if every -fish that took the May-fly were to be killed, there would be an end to -the sport in the river, for none would remain for next year. - -PHYS.—The number of flies seems to increase as the day advances, and I -never saw a more animated water scene: all nature seems alive; even the -water-wagtails have joined the attack upon these helpless and lovely -creations from the waters. - -HAL.—It is now one o’clock; and between twelve and three is the time -when the May-fly rises with most vigour. It is a very warm day, and with -such a quantity of fly, every fish in the river will probably be soon -feeding. See, below the wear, there are two or three large trout lately -come out; and from the quiet way in which they swallow their prey, and -from the size of the tranquil undulation that follows their rise, I -suspect they are the giants of this river. Try if you cannot reach them: -one is near the bank in a convenient place for a throw, for the water is -sufficiently rough to hide the deception, and these large fish do not -take the fly well in calm water, though with natural flies on the hook -they might all be raised. - -POIET.—I have him! Alas! he has broken me, and carried away half my -bottom line. He must have been a fish of 7 or 8lbs. What a dash he made! -He carried off my fly by main force. - -HAL.—You should have allowed your reel to play and your line to run: you -held him too tight. - -POIET.—He was too powerful a fish for my tackle; and even if I had done -so, would probably have broken me by running amongst the weeds. - -HAL.—Let me tell you, my friend, you should never allow a fish to run to -the weeds, or to strike across the stream; you should carry him always -down stream, keeping his head high, and in the current. If in a weedy -river you allow a large fish to run up stream, you are almost sure to -lose him. There, I have hooked the companion of your lost fish on the -other side of the stream,—a powerful creature: he tries, you see, to -make way to the weeds, but I hold him tight. - -POIET.—I see you are obliged to run with him, and have carried him -safely through the weeds. - -HAL.—I have him now in the rapids on the shallow, and I have no fear of -losing him, unless he strikes the hook out of his mouth. - -POIET.—He springs again and again. - -HAL.—He is off; in one of these somersets he detached the steel, and he -now leaps to celebrate his escape. We will leave this place, where there -are more great fish, and return to it after a while, when the alarm -produced by our operations has subsided. - -PHYS.—That fish take the artificial fly at all is rather surprising to -me, for in its most perfect form it is but a rude imitation of nature; -and from the greedy manner in which it is seized, fish, I think, cannot -possess a refined sense of smell, or any nervous system corresponding to -the nasal one in animals that breathe air: no scent can be given to -water by an artificial fly, or, at least, none like that of the natural -fly. - -HAL.—The principal use of the nostrils in fishes, I believe, is to -assist in the propulsion of water through the gills for performing the -office of respiration, but I think there are some nerves in these organs -which give fishes a sense of the qualities of the water, or of -substances dissolved in, or diffused through it, similar to our sense of -smell, or, perhaps, rather our sense of taste, for there can be no doubt -that fishes are attracted by scented pastes and scented worms, which are -sometimes used by anglers that employ ground-baits; and in old -angling-books there are usually receipts for attracting fish in this -manner, and though the absurdity of many of these prescriptions is -manifest, yet I do not think this proves that they are entirely useless, -for, upon such principles, all the remedies for diseases in the old -pharmacopœias would be null. - -With respect to the fly, as it usually touches the stream by a very -small surface, that of the air-bubbles on the fringes on its legs, it -can scarcely affect the water so as to give it any power of -communicating smell. And as you have seen a ripple or motion on the -water is necessary to deceive fishes; and as they look at the fly from -below, they see distinctly only the legs and body, which, when the -colours are like those of the natural fly, may easily deceive them; the -wings, which are the worst imitated parts of the artificial fly, seldom -appear to them, except through the different refractive power of the -moving water and the atmosphere, and when immersed, they form masses not -unlike the wings of a drowned fly, or one wetted in rising. - - * * * * * - -It is now a quarter of an hour since we left the large pool: let us -return to it; I see the fish are again rising. - -POIET.—I am astonished! It appears to me that the very same fish are -again feeding. There are two fish rising nearly in the same spot where -they rose before: can they be the same fish? - -HAL.—It is very possible. It is not likely that three other fish of that -size should occupy the same haunts. - -POIET.—But I thought after a fish had been hooked, he remained sick and -sulky for some time, feeling his wounds uncomfortable. - -HAL.—The fish that I hooked is not rising in the same place, and -therefore, probably, was hurt by the hook; but one of these fish seems -to be the same that carried off your fly, and it is probable that the -hook only struck him in a part of the mouth where there are no nerves; -and that he suffered little at the moment, and does not now feel his -annoyance. - -POIET.—I have seen him take four or five flies: I shall throw over him. -There, he rose, but refused the fly. He has at least learnt, from the -experiment he has made, to distinguish the natural from the artificial -fly. - -HAL.—This, I think, always happens after a fish has been hooked with an -artificial fly. He becomes cautious, and is seldom caught that year, at -least with the same means in the same pool: but I dare say that fish -might be taken with a natural fly; or, what is better, two upon the -hook. - -POIET.—Pray try him. - -HAL.—I am no artist at this kind of angling, but Ornither I know has -fished in June with the clubs at Stockbridge, where this method of -fishing is usual. Pray let him try his fortune, though it is hardly fair -play; and it is rather to endeavour to recover your tackle, than for the -sake of the fish, that I encourage him to make the essay. - -POIET.—Pray make no apologies for the trial. Such a fish—certainly a -monster for this river—should be caught by fair means, if possible, but -caught by any means. - -ORN.—You lost that fish, and you overrate his size, as you will see, if -I have good luck. I put my live flies on the hook with some regret and -some disgust. I will not employ another person to be my minister of -cruelty, as I remember a lady of fashion once did, who was very fond of -fishing for perch, and who employed her daughter, a little girl of nine -years of age, to pass the hook through the body of the worm! Now there -is a good wind, and the fish has just taken a natural fly. I shall drop -the flies, if possible, within a few inches of his nose. He has risen. -He is caught! I must carry him down stream to avoid the bed of weeds -above. I now have him on fair ground, and he fights with vigour. -Fortunately, my silk worm gut is very strong, for he is not a fish to be -trifled with. He begins to be tired; prepare the net. We have him safe, -and see your link hangs to his lower jaw: the hook had struck the -cartilage on the outside of the bone, and the fly, probably, was -scarcely felt by him. - -PHYS.—I am surprised! That fish evidently had discovered that the -artificial fly was a dangerous bait, yet he took the natural fly which -was on a hook, and when the silk-worm gut must have been visible. - -HAL.—I do not think he saw either the gut or the hook. In very bright -weather and water, I have known very shy fish refuse even a hook baited -with the natural fly, scared probably by some appearance of hook or gut. -The vision of fishes when the surface is not ruffled is sufficiently -keen. I have seen them rise at gnats so small as to be scarcely visible -to my eye. - -PHYS.—You just now said, that a fish pricked by the hook of an -artificial fly would not usually take it again that season. - -HAL.—I cannot be exact on that point: I have known a fish that I have -pricked retain his station in the river, and refuse the artificial fly, -day after day, for weeks together; but his memory may have been kept -awake by this practice, and the recollection seems local and associated -with surrounding objects; and if a pricked trout is chased into another -pool, he will, I believe, soon again take the artificial fly. Or if the -objects around him are changed, as in Autumn, by the decay of weeds, or -by their being cut, the same thing happens; and a flood, or a rough -wind, I believe, assists the fly-fisher, not merely by obscuring the -vision of the fish, but, in a river much fished, by changing the -appearance of their haunts: large trouts almost always occupy particular -stations, under, or close to, a large stone or tree; and, probably, most -of their recollected sensations are connected with this dwelling. - -PHYS.—I think I understand you, that the memory of the danger and pain -does not last long, unless there is a permanent sensation with which it -can remain associated,—such as the station of the trout; and that the -recollection of the mere form of the artificial fly, without this -association, is evanescent. - -ORN.—You are diving into metaphysics; yet I think, in fowling, I have -observed that the memory of birds is local. A woodcock, that has been -much shot at and scared in a particular wood, runs to the side where he -has usually escaped, the moment he hears the dogs; but if driven into a -new wood, he seems to lose his acquired habits of caution, and becomes -stupid. - -POIET.—This great fish, that Ornither has just caught, must be nearly of -the weight I assigned to him. - -HAL.—O no! he is, I think, above 5lbs., but not 6lbs.; but we can form a -more correct opinion by measuring him, which I can easily do, the but of -my rod being a measure. He measures, from nose to fork, a very little -less than twenty-four inches, and, consequently, upon the scale which is -appropriate to well-fed trouts, should weigh 5lbs. 10oz.—which, within -an ounce, I doubt not, is his weight. - -PHYS.—O! I see you take the mathematical law, that similar solids are to -each other in the triplicate ratio of one of their dimensions. - -HAL.—You are right. - -PHYS.—But I think you are below the mark, for this appears to me an -extraordinarily thick fish. - -HAL.—He is a well-fed fish, but, in proportion, not so thick as my -model, which was a fish of 17 inches by 9 inches, and weighed 2lbs.; -this is my standard solid. We will try him. Ho! Mrs. B.!—bring your -scales, and weigh this fish. There, you see, he weighs 5lbs. 10½oz. - -PHYS.—Well, I am pleased to see this fish, and amused with your sport; -but though I have been imitating you in throwing the fly, as well as I -can, yet not a trout has taken notice of my fly, and they seem scared by -my appearance. - -HAL.—Let me see you perform. There are two good trout taking flies -opposite that bank, which you can reach. You threw too much line into -the water, and scared them both; but I will take you to the rapid of the -Tumbling Bay, where the river falls; there the quickness of the stream -will prevent your line from falling deep, and the foam will conceal your -person from the view of the fish. And let me advise you to fish only in -the rapids till you have gained some experience in throwing the fly. -There are several fish rising in that stream. - -PHYS.—I have raised one, but he refused my fly. - -HAL.—Now you have a fish. - -PHYS.—I am delighted;—but he is a small one. - -HAL.—Unluckily it is a _dace_. - -PHYS.—I have now a larger fish, which has pulled my line out. - -HAL.—Give him time. That is a good trout. Now wind up; he is tired, and -your own. I will land him. He is a fish to keep, being above 2lbs. - -PHYS.—I am well pleased. - -HAL.—There are many larger trouts here: go on fishing and you will hook -some of them. And when you are tired of this rapid, you will find -another a quarter of a mile below. And continue to fish with a short -line, and drop your fly, or let it be carried by the wind on the water, -as lightly as possible. Well, Poietes, what success? - -POIET.—I have been fishing in the stream above; but the flies are so -abundant, that the large fish will not take my artificial fly, and I -have caught only three fish, all of which the fisherman has thrown into -the water, though I am sure one of them was more than 2lbs. - -HAL.—You may trust his knowledge: with a new angler, our keeper would be -apt rather to favour the fisherman than the fish. But we will have all -fish you wish to be killed, and above 2lbs., put into the well of the -boat, where they can be examined, and, if you desire, weighed and -measured, and such kept as are worth keeping. No good angler should kill -a fish, if possible, till he is needed to be crimped; for the sooner he -is dressed after this operation the better;—and I assure you, a well-fed -trout of the Colne, crimped and cooled ten minutes before he is wanted -for the kettle or the gridiron, is a fish little inferior to the best -salmon of the best rivers. It is now nearly two o’clock, and there is a -cloud over the sun; the fly is becoming less abundant; you are now -likely, Poietes, to have better sport. Try in that deep pool, below the -Tumbling Bay; I see two or three good fish rising there, and there is a -lively breeze. The largest fish refuses your fly again and again; try -the others. There, you have hooked him; now carry him down stream, and -keep his head high, out of the weeds. He plunges and fights with great -force;—he is the best-fed fish I have yet seen at the end of the line, -and will weigh more in proportion to his length. I will land him for -you. There he is,—and measures 19 inches; and I dare say his weight is -not much short of 3lbs. We will preserve him in the well. - -POIET.—He has hardly any spots, and is silvery all over; and the whole -of the lower part of his body is beautifully clean. - -HAL.—He is likewise broad-backed; and you may observe his few spots are -black, and these are very small. I have always remarked, in this river, -that the nearer the fish approach to perfection, the colour of the body -becomes more uniform,—pale olive above, and bright silver below; and -these qualities are always connected with a small head,—or rather, an -oval body, and deep-red flesh. - -POIET.—May not the red spots be marks of disease—a hectic kind of -beauty? For I observed in a very thin and poor fish, and great-headed, -that I caught an hour ago, which had leeches sticking to it, a number of -red spots, and a long black back, and black or bluish marks even on the -belly. - -HAL.—I do not think red spots a symptom of disease; for I have seen fish -in other rivers, and even small fish in this river, in perfectly good -season, with red spots; but the colours of fish are very capricious, and -depend upon causes which cannot be easily defined. The colouring matter -is not in the scales, but in the surface of the skin immediately beneath -them, and is probably a secretion easily affected by the health of the -animal. I have known fish, from some lakes in Ireland, mottled in a most -singular way,—their colour being like that of the tortoise: the nature -of the water, exposure to the light, and probably the kind of food, -produce these effects. I think it possible, when trout feed much on hard -substances, such as larvæ and their cases, and the ova of other fish, -they have more red spots, and redder fins. This is the case with the -gillaroo and the char, who feed on analogous substances: and the trout, -that have similar habits, might be expected to resemble them. When trout -feed most on small fish, as minnows, and on flies, they have more -tendency to become spotted with small black spots, and are generally -more silvery. The Colne trout are, in their advanced state, of this -kind; and so are the trout called in Ireland buddocks and dolochans, -found in Loch Neah. Particular character becomes hereditary, and the -effects of a peculiar food influence the appearance of the next -generation. I hope, Ornither, you have had good sport. - -ORN.—Excellent! Since you left me, below the wear, I have hooked at -least fifteen or twenty good fish, and landed and saved eight above -2lbs.; but I have taken no fish like the great one which I caught by -poaching with the natural flies. The trout rose wonderfully well within -the last quarter of an hour, but they are now all still; and the river, -which was in such active motion, is now perfectly quiet, and seems -asleep and almost dead. - -HAL.—It is past four o’clock, and some dark, heavy clouds are come -on,—the fly is off. It is almost the hour for the signal of the dressing -bell; and there is nothing more to be done now till evening. But see! -our host is come to examine our fish in the well, and to enquire about -our sport; and, I dare say, will order some of our fish to be dressed -for the table. - -HOST.—I hope, gentlemen, you have been amused? - -HAL.—Most highly, sir. As a proof of it, there are in the fish-well -eighteen good trout,—and one not much short of 6lbs.; three above 4lbs., -and four above 3lbs. in weight. I hope you will order that great fish -for your dinner. - -HOST.—We will see. He is a fine fish, and fit for a present, even for a -prince—and you shall take him to a prince. Here is a fish, and there -another, of the two next sizes, which I am sure will cut red. Prepare -them, fisherman. And, Halieus, you shall catch two or three perch, for -another dish; I know there are some good ones below the piles of the -wear; I saw them hunting small fish there yesterday morning. Some -minnows, ho!—and the perch rods! - -HAL.—I am tired, sir, and would willingly avoid minnow fishing after -such a morning’s sport. - -HOST.—Come, then, I will be a fisher for the table. I have one—and -another, that will weigh nearly a pound apiece. Now, there is a cunning -perch that has stolen my minnow; I know he is a large one. He has robbed -me again and again; and if I fish on in this way, with the hook through -the upper lip, will, I dare say, carry away all the minnows in the -kettle. I shall put on a strong small hook, on a stout, though fine, -gut, with slender wire round the top, and pass the hook through the back -fin of the minnow, and try my sagacity against his. Lo! I have him!—and -a very strong fish he is, and gone to the bottom; but even though the -greatest perch in the river, he cannot bite the gut,—he will soon be -tired and taken. He now comes up, and is landed. He must be above -3lbs.—a magnificent perch! Kill him and crimp him, fisherman; take our -two trout, and the three perch, to the kitchen, and let them be dressed -as usual. You shall have a good dish of fish, worthy of such determined -anglers. But I see one of your party coming up by the side of the river, -who seems tired and out of spirits. - -HAL.—It is Physicus, who has this day commenced his career as a fly -fisher; and who, I dare say, has been as successful as the uninitiated -generally are. I hope you have followed my advice, and been fortunate? - -PHYS.—I caught two trout in the rapid where you left me; but they were -small, and the fisherman threw them in. Below the wear, in the quick -stream, I caught two dace, and what astonished me very much, a perch, -which you see here, and which I thought never took the fly. - -HAL.—O yes, sometimes; and particularly when it is below the surface: -and what more? - -PHYS.—By creeping on my knees, and dropping my fly over the bank, I -hooked a very large fish which I saw rising, and which was like a -salmon; but he was too strong for my tackle, ran out all my line, and at -last broke off by entangling my link in a post in the river. I have been -very unlucky! I am sure that fish was larger than the great one Ornither -took with the natural fly. - -HAL.—Come, you have been initiated, and I see begin to take an interest -in the sport, and I do not despair of your becoming a distinguished -angler. - -PHYS.—With time and some patience: but I am sorry I tortured that -enormous fish without taking him. - -HAL.—I dare say he was a large fish; but I have known very correct, and -even cool, reasoners in error on a point of this kind. You are -acquainted with Chemicus; he is not an ardent fisherman, and certainly -not addicted to romance; I will tell you an anecdote respecting him. He -accompanied me to this very spot last year, on a visit to our host, and -preferred angling for pike to fly fishing. After the amusement of a -morning, he brought back with him to the house one pike, and with some -degree of disappointment complained that he had hooked another of an -enormous size, which carried off his tackle by main force, and which he -was sure must have been above 10lbs. At dinner, on the table, there were -two pikes; one the fish that Chemicus had caught, and another a little -larger, somewhat more than 3lbs. We put some questions as to who had -caught this second pike, which we found had been taken by our host, who -smiling, and with some kind of mystery, asked Chemicus if he thought it -weighed 10lbs. Chemicus refused to acknowledge an identity between such -a fish and the monster he had hooked; when my friend took out of his -pocket a paper containing some hooks and tackle carefully wrapped up, -and asked Chemicus if he had ever seen such an apparatus. Chemicus owned -they were the hooks and tackle the great fish had carried away. “And I -found them,” said our friend, “in the mouth of that very _little_ fish -which you see on the table, and which I caught half an hour ago.” - -HOST.—I answer for the correctness of this anecdote, but I do not -sanction its application to the case of our novitiate in angling. I have -seen a fish under that bank where he was so unfortunate, which I am sure -was above four pounds, and which I dare say was the subject of his -unsuccessful experiment. - -POIET.—From what our host has just said, I conclude, Halieus, that fish -do not usually change their stations. - -HAL.—Large trouts unquestionably do not;—they always hide themselves -under the same bank, stone, stock, or weed, as I said this morning -before, and come out from their permanent habitations to feed; and when -they have fled to their haunt, they may be taken there by the hand; and -on this circumstance the practice of tickling trout is founded. A -favourite place for a large trout in rivers is an eddy behind a rock or -stone, where flies and small fishes are carried by the force of the -current: and such haunts are rarely unoccupied; for if a fish is taken -out of one of them, his place is soon supplied by another, who quits for -it a less convenient situation. - -PHYS.—So much knowledge and practice is required to become a proficient, -that I am afraid it is too late in life for me to begin to learn a new -art. - -HAL.—Do not despair. There was—alas! that I must say there was—an -illustrious philosopher, who was nearly of the age of fifty before he -made angling a pursuit, yet he became a distinguished fly-fisher, and -the amusement occupied many of his leisure hours during the last twelve -years of his life. He, indeed, applied his pre-eminent acuteness, his -science, and his philosophy to aid the resources, and exalt the -pleasures of this amusement. I remember to have seen Dr. Wollaston, a -few days after he had become a fly-fisher, carrying at his buttonhole a -piece of caoutchouc, or Indian rubber, when, by passing his silk-worm -link through a fissure in the middle, he rendered it straight and fit -for immediate use. Many other anglers will remember other ingenious -devices of my admirable and ever-to-be lamented friend. - -(_They go to dinner._) - - * * * * * - -(_They return from the house._) - - - EVENING. - -HAL.—You have, I am sure, gentlemen, dined well; no one ever dined -otherwise in this house. It is a beautiful calm evening, and many fish -might be caught where we fished in the morning; but I will take you to -another part of the river; you shall each catch a fish, and then we will -give over; for the evening’s sport should be kept till a late -season,—July or August,—when there is little fly on in the day-time: and -it would be spoiling the diversion of our host, to catch or prick all -the fish in the upper water; and with a gentleman so truly liberal, and -so profuse of his means of giving pleasure to others, no improper -liberties should be taken. I shall not fish myself, but shall have my -pleasure in witnessing your sport. It must be in a boat, and you must -steal slowly up the calm water, and glide like aerial beings on the -surface, making no motion in the water, and showing no shadow. Your fly -must be an orange or brown palmer with a yellow body; for the gray drake -is not yet on the water. The fish here are large, and the river weedy, -so you must take care of your fish and your tackle. - -POIET.—We have at least passed over half-a-mile of water, and have seen -no fish rise; yet there is a yellowish or reddish fly in the air, which -moves like a drake; and there are clouds of pale brown flies encircling -the alders. Now I think I see a large trout rise below that alder. - -HAL.—That is not a trout, for he rises in a different place now, and is -probably a large roach or chub; do not waste your time upon him. You may -always know a large trout when feeding in the evening. He rises -continuously, or at small intervals,—in a still water almost always in -the same place,—and makes little noise,—barely elevating his mouth to -suck in the fly, and sometimes showing his back-fin and tail. A large -circle spreads around him, but there are seldom many bubbles when he -breaks the water, which usually indicate the coarser fish: we will wait -a few minutes; I know there must be trout here, and the sun is setting, -and the yellow fly, or dun cut, coming on the water. See, beneath that -alder is a trout rising, and now there is another thirty yards higher -up. Take care, get your line out in another part of the water, and in -order, for reaching the fish, and do not throw till you are sure you can -reach the spot, and throw at least half-a-yard above the fish. - -ORN.—He rose, I suppose, at a natural fly, the moment before my fly -touched the water. - -HAL.—Try again. You have hooked him, and you have done well not to -strike when he rose. Now hold him tight, wind up your line, and carry -him down the stream. Push the boat down stream, fisherman. Keep your -fish’s head up. He begins to tire,—and there is landed. A fine well-fed -fish, not much less than 4lbs. Throw him into the well. Now, Poietes, -try that fish rising above,—and there are two more. - -POIET.—I have him! - -HAL.—Take care. He has turned you, and you have suffered him to run out -your line, and he is gone into the weeds under the willow: let him fall -down stream. - -POIET.—I cannot get him out. - -HAL.—Then wind up. I fear he is lost, yet we will try to recover him by -taking the boat up. The line is loose: he has left the link entangled in -the weeds, and carried your fly with him. He must have been a large -fish, or he could not have disentangled himself from so strong a gut. -Try again, there are fish now rising above and below; where the water is -in motion, opposite that willow, there are two fish rising. - -POIET.—I have one of them. - -HAL.—Now you are doing well. Down with the boat, and drag your fish -downwards. Continue to do so, as there are weeds all round you. You can -master him now; keep him high, and he is your own. Put the net under -him, and bring him into the boat; he is a well-fed fish, but not of the -proper size for a victim: about 2lbs. Now, Physicus, try your fortune -with the fish above that rises so merrily still. You have him! Now use -him as Poietes did the last. Very well; I see he is a large fish,—take -your time. He is landed; a fish nearly of 3lbs., and in excellent -season. - -PHYS.—Anche Io son Pescatore—I am too a fisherman—a triumph. - -HAL.—Now we have finished our fishing, and must return to the light -supper of our host. It would be easy now, and between this hour and ten, -to take half-a-dozen large fish in this part of the water; but for the -reason I have already stated, it would be improper. - -POIET.—Pray would not this be a good part of the water for day-fishing? - -HAL.—Undoubtedly, a skilful angler might take fish here in the day; but -the bank is shaded by trees, there is seldom any sensible wind on the -water, and the apparatus and the boat in motion are easily perceived in -the daylight; and the water is so deep, that a great quantity of fly is -necessary to call up the fish; and in general there is a larger quantity -of fly in hot summer evenings, than even in the brightest sunshine. - -PHYS.—The fly appears to me like a moth that is now on the water. - -HAL.—It is. - -POIET.—What flies come on late in the season here? - -HAL.—Flies of the same species; some darker, and some with a deeper -shade of red; and there are likewise the true moths, the brown and -white, which, in June and July, are seized with avidity by the fish; and -being large flies, take large fish. - -ORN.—Surely the May-fly season is not the only season for day-fishing in -this river? - -HAL.—Certainly not. There are as many fish to be taken perhaps in the -Spring fishing; but in this deep river they are seldom in good season -till the May-fly has been on, and a fortnight hence they will be still -better than even now. In September there may be good fish taken here; -but the autumnal flies are less plentiful in this river than the spring -flies. - -PHYS.—Pray tell me what are the species of fly which take in these two -seasons. - -HAL.—You know that trout spawn or deposit their ova and seminal fluid in -the end of the autumn or beginning of winter, from the middle of -November till the beginning of January, their maturity depending upon -the temperature of the season, their quantity of food, &c. For some time -(a month or six weeks) before they are prepared for the sexual function, -or that of re-production, they become less fat, particularly the -females; the large quantity of eggs and their size probably affecting -the health of the animal, and compressing generally the vital organs in -the abdomen. They are at least six weeks or two months after they have -spawned before they recover their flesh: and the time when these fish -are at the worst is likewise the worst time for fly-fishing, both on -account of the cold weather and because there are fewer flies on the -water than at any other season. Even in December and January there are a -few small gnats or water-flies on the water in the middle of the day, in -bright days, or when there is sunshine. These are generally black, and -they escape the influence of the frost by the effects of light on their -black bodies, and probably by the extreme rapidity of the motions of -their fluids, and generally of their organs. They are found only at the -surface of the water, where the temperature must be above the freezing -point. In February a few double-winged water-flies which swim down the -stream are usually found in the middle of the day,—such as the -willow-fly; and the cow-dung-fly is sometimes carried on the water by -winds. In March there are several flies found on most rivers. The -grannam or green-tail-fly, with a wing like a moth, comes on generally -morning and evening, from five till eight o’clock, A. M. in mild weather -in the end of March and through April. Then there are the blue and the -brown, both Ephemeræ, which come on, the first in dark days, the second -in bright days; these flies, when well imitated, are very destructive to -fish. The first is a small fly with a palish-yellow body, and slender -beautiful wings, which rest on the back as it floats down the water. The -second, called the cob in Wales, is three or four times as large, and -has brown wings, which likewise protrude from the back, and its wings -are shaded like those of a partridge, brown and yellow brown. These -three kinds of flies lay their eggs in the water, which produce larvæ -that remain in the state of worms, feeding and breathing in the water -till they are prepared for their metamorphosis and quit the bottoms of -the rivers, and the mud and stones, for the surface, and the light and -air. The brown fly usually disappears before the end of April, likewise -the grannam; but of the blue dun, there is a succession of different -tints, or species, or varieties, which appear in the middle of the day -all the summer and autumn long. These are the principal flies on the -Wandle—the best and clearest stream near London. In early spring these -flies have dark olive bodies; in the end of April and the beginning of -May they are found yellow; and in the summer they become -cinnamon-coloured; and again, as the winter approaches, gain a darker -hue. I do not, however, mean to say that they are the same flies, but -more probably successive generations of Ephemeræ of the same species. - -The excess of heat seems equally unfavourable, as the excess of cold, to -the existence of the smaller species of water-insects, which, during the -intensity of sunshine, seldom appear in summer, but rise morning and -evening only. The blue dun has in June and July a yellow body, and there -is a water-fly which in the evening is generally found before the moths -appear, called the red-spinner. Towards the end of August, the Ephemeræ -appear again in the middle of the day: a very pale small Ephemera, which -is of the same colour as that which is seen in some rivers in the -beginning of July. In September and October this kind of fly is found -with an olive body, and it becomes darker in October, and paler in -November. There are two other flies which appear in the end of -September, and continue during October if the weather be mild: a large -yellow fly with a fleshy body and wings like a moth; and a small fly -with four wings, with a dark or claret-coloured body, that when it falls -on the water has its wings like the great yellow fly, flat on its back. -This, or a claret-bodied fly, very similar in character, may be likewise -found in March or April, on some waters. In this river I have often -caught many large trout in April and the beginning of May, with the blue -dun, having the yellow body; and in the upper part of the stream below -St. Albans, and between that and Watford, I have sometimes, even as -early as April, caught fish in good condition: but the _true_ season for -the Colne is the season of the May-fly. The same may be said of most of -the large English rivers containing large trouts, and abounding in -May-fly;—such as the Test and the Kennet; the one running by -Stockbridge, the other by Hungerford. But in the Wandle at Carshalton -and Beddington, the May-fly is not found; and the little blues are the -constant, and when well imitated, killing flies on this water; to which -may be joined a dark alder-fly, and a red evening fly. In the Avon, at -Ringwood and Fordingbridge, the May-fly is likewise a killing fly; but -as this is a grayling river, the other flies, particularly the grannam -and blue and brown, are good in spring, and the alder-fly or pale blue -later, and the blue dun in September and October, and even November. In -the streams in the mountainous parts of Britain, the spring and autumnal -flies are by far the most killing. The Usk was formerly a very -productive trout stream, and the fish being well-fed by the worms washed -down by the winter floods, were often in good season, cutting red, in -March, and the beginning of April: and at this season the blues and -browns, particularly when the water was a little stained after a small -flood, afforded the angler good sport. In Herefordshire and Derbyshire, -where trout and grayling are often found together, the same periods are -generally best for angling; but in the Dove, Lathkill, and Wye, with the -natural May-fly, many fish may be taken; and in old times, in peculiarly -windy days, or high and troubled water, even the artificial May-fly, -according to Cotton, was very killing. - -POIET.—I have heard various accounts of the excellent fishing in some of -the great lakes in Ireland. Can you tell us any thing on the subject, -and if the same flies may be used in that island? - -HAL.—I have been several times in Ireland, but never at this season, -which is considered as best for lake-fishing. I have heard that in some -of the lakes in Westmeath, very large trout, and great quantities may be -taken in the beginning of June, with the very flies we have been using -this day. Wind is necessary; and a good angler sometimes takes in a day, -or rather formerly took, from ten to twelve fish, which weighed from 3 -to 10lbs., and which occasionally were even larger. In the summer after -June, and in the autumn, the only seasons when I have fished in Ireland, -I have seldom taken any large trout; but in the river Boyle, late in -October, after a flood, I once had some sport with these fish, that were -running up the river from Lock Key to spawn. I caught one day two above -3lbs. that took a large reddish-brown fly of the same kind as a salmon -fly; and I saw some taken that weighed 5lbs., and heard of one that -equalled 9lbs. These fish were in good season, even at this late period, -and had no spots, but were coloured red and brown—mottled like -tortoise-shell, only with smaller bars. I have in July, likewise, fished -in Loch Con, near Ballina, and Loch Melvin, near Ballyshannon. In Loch -Con, the party caught many small good trout, that cut red; and in the -other I caught a very few trout only, but as many of them were gillaroo -or gizzard trout as common trout. - -POIET.—This must have been an interesting kind of fishing. In what does -the gillaroo differ from the trout? - -HAL.—In appearance very little, except that they have more red spots, -and a yellow or golden-coloured belly and fins, and are generally a -broader and thicker fish; but internally they have a different -organization, possessing a large thick muscular stomach, which has been -improperly compared to a fowl’s, and which generally contains a quantity -of small shell-fish of three or four kinds: and though in those I caught -the stomachs were full of these shell-fish, yet they rose greedily at -the fly. - -POIET.—Are they not common trout which have gained the habit of feeding -on shell-fish? - -HAL.—If so, they have been altered in a succession of generations. The -common trouts of this lake have stomachs like other trouts, which never, -as far as my experience has gone, contain shell-fish; but of the -gillaroo trout, I have caught with a fly some not longer than my finger, -which have had as perfect a hard stomach as the larger ones, with the -coats as thick in proportion, and the same shells within; so that this -animal is at least _now_ a distinct species, and is a sort of link -between the trout and char, which has a stomach of the same kind with -the gillaroo, but not quite so thick, and which feeds at the bottom in -the same way. I have often looked in the lakes abroad for gillaroo -trout, and never found one. In a small lake at the foot of the Crest of -the Brenner, above 4000 feet above the level of the sea, I once caught -some trout, which, from their thickness and red spots, I suspected were -gillaroo, but on opening the stomach I found I was mistaken; it had no -particular thickness, and was filled with grasshoppers: but there were -_char_, which fed on _shell-fish_, in the same lake. - -POIET.—Are water-flies found on all rivers? - -HAL.—This is a question which I find it impossible to answer; yet from -my own experience I should suppose, that in all the habitable parts of -the globe certain water-flies exist wherever there is running water. -Even in the most ardent temperature, gnats and musquitoes are found, -which lay their congeries of eggs on the water, which, when hatched, -become first worms, afterwards small shrimp-like aurelia, and lastly -flies. There are a great number of the largest species of these flies on -stagnant waters and lakes, which form a part of the food of various -fishes, principally of the carp kind: but the true fisherman’s -flies,—those which are imitated in our art, principally belong to the -northern, or at least temperate part of Europe, and I believe are -nowhere more abundant than in England. It appears to me, that since I -have been a fisherman, which is now the best part of half a century, I -have observed in some rivers where I have been accustomed to fish -habitually, a diminution of the numbers of flies. There were always some -seasons in which the temperature was favourable to a quantity of fly; -for instance, fine warm days in spring for the grannam, or brown fly; -and like days in May and June for the alder-fly, May-fly, and stone-fly; -but I should say that within these last twenty years I have observed a -general diminution of the spring and autumnal flies, except in those -rivers which are fed from sources that run from chalk, and which are -perennial—such as the Wandle, and the Hampshire and Buckinghamshire -rivers; in these streams the temperature is more uniform, and the -quantity of water does not vary much. I attribute the change of the -quantity of flies in the rivers to the cultivation of the country. Most -of the bogs or marshes which fed many considerable streams are drained; -and the consequence is, that they are more likely to be affected by -severe droughts and great floods—the first killing, and the second -washing away the larvæ and aurelias. May-flies thirty years ago were -abundant in the upper part of the Teme river in Herefordshire, where it -receives the Clun: they are now rarely seen. Most of the rivers of that -part of England, as well as of the west, with the exception of those -that rise in the still uncultivated parts of Dartmoor and Exmoor, are -rapid and unfordable torrents after rain, and in dry summers little more -than scanty rills; and Exmoor and Dartmoor, almost the only considerable -remains of those moist, spongy, or peaty soils, which once covered the -greatest part of the high lands of England, are becoming cultivated, and -their sources will gradually gain the same character as those of our -midland and highly-improved counties. I cannot give you an idea of the -effects of peat mosses and grassy marshes on the water thrown down from -the atmosphere, better, than by comparing their effects to those of -roofs of houses of thatched straw, as contrasted with roofs of slate, on -a shower of rain. The slate begins to drop immediately, and sends down -what it receives in a rapid torrent, and is dry soon after the shower is -over. From the sponge-like roof of thatch, on the contrary, it is long -before the water drops; but it continues dropping and wet for hours -after the shower is over and the slate dry. - -POIET.—You spoke just now of the gillaroo trout, as belonging only to -Ireland. I can, however, hardly bring myself to believe, that such a -fish is not to be found elsewhere. For lakes with shell-fish and char -are common in various parts of Europe, and as the gillaroo trout is -congenerous, it ought to exist both in Scotland and the Alpine -countries. - -HAL.—It is not possible from analogies of this kind to draw certain -inferences. Subterraneous cavities and subterranean waters are common in -various countries, yet the Proteus Anguinus is only found in two places -in Carniola—at Adelsburg and Sittich. As I mentioned before, I have -never yet met with a gillaroo trout except in Ireland. It is true, it is -only lately that I have had my attention directed to this subject, and -other fishermen or naturalists may be more fortunate. - -POIET.—Have you ever observed any other varieties of the trout kind, -which may be considered as, like the gillaroo, forming a distinct -species? - -HAL.—I think the par, samlet, or brandling, common to most of our -rivers, which communicate with the sea, has a claim to be considered a -distinct species; yet the history of this fish is so obscure, and so -little understood, that, perhaps, I ought not to venture to give an -account of it. But in doing so, you will consider me as rather asking -for new information, than as attempting a satisfactory view of this -little animal. - -ORN.—I have seen this fish in the rivers of Wales and Herefordshire, and -have heard it asserted, on what appeared to me good authority, that it -was a mule,—the offspring of a trout and a salmon. - -HAL.—This opinion, I know, has been supported by the fact, that it is -found only in streams, which are occasionally visited by salmon; yet I -know no direct evidence in favour of the opinion, and I should think it -much more probable, if it be a mixed race, that it is produced by the -sea trout and common trout. In a small river, which runs into the Moy, -near Ballina in Ireland, I once caught in October a great number of -small sea trout, which were generally about half-a-pound in weight, and -were all _males_; and unless it be supposed, that the females were in -the river likewise, and would not take the fly, these fish, in which the -spermatic system was fully developed, could only have impregnated the -ova of the common river trout. The sea trout and river trout are, -indeed, so like each other in character, that such a mixture seems -exceedingly probable; but I know no reason why such mules should always -continue small, except that it may be a mark of imperfection. The only -difference between the par and common small trout is in the colours, and -its possessing one or two spines more in the pectoral fin. The par has -large blue or olive bluish marks on the sides, as if they had been made -by the impression of the fingers of a hand; and hence the fish is called -in some places _fingerling_. The river and sea trout seem capable of -changing permanently their places of residence; and sea trout appear -often to become river trout. In this case they lose their silvery -colour, and gain more spots; and in their offspring these changes are -more distinct. Fish, likewise, which are ill-fed remain small; and pars -are exceedingly numerous in those rivers where they are found, which are -never separated from the sea by impassable falls; from which I think it -possible that they are produced by a cross between sea and river trout. -The varieties of the common trout are almost infinite; from the great -lake trout, which weighs above 60 or 70lbs., to the trouts of the little -mountain brook or small mountain lake, or tarn, which is scarcely larger -than the finger. The smallest trout spawn nearly at the same time with -the larger ones, and their ova are of the same size; but in the large -trout there are tens of thousands, and in the small one rarely as many -as forty,—often from ten to forty. So that in the physical constitution -of these animals, their production is diminished as their food is small -in quantity; and it is remarkable, that the ova of the large and -beautiful species which exist in certain lakes, and which seem always to -associate together, appear to produce offspring, which, in colour, form, -and power of growth and reproduction, resemble the parent fishes; and -they generally choose the same river for their spawning. Thus, in the -lake of Guarda, the Benacus of the ancients, the magnificent trout, or -_Salmo fario_, which in colour and appearance is like a fresh run -salmon, spawns in the river at Riva, beginning to run up for that -purpose in June, and continuing to do so all the summer; and this river -is fed by streams from snow and glaciers in the Tyrol, and is generally -foul: whilst the small spotted common trouts, which are likewise found -in this lake, go into the small brooks, which have their sources not far -off, and in which, it is probable, they were originally bred. I have -seen taken in the same net small fish of both these varieties which were -as marked as possible in their characters:—one silvery, like a young -salmon, blue on the back, and with small black spots only; the other, -with yellow belly and red spots, and an olive-coloured back. I have made -similar observations in other lakes, particularly in that of the Tarun -near Gmunden, and likewise at Loch Neah in Ireland. Indeed, considering -the sea trout as the type of the species _trout_, I think all the other -true trouts may not improperly be considered as varieties, where the -differences of food and of habits have occasioned, in a long course of -ages, differences of shape and colours, transmitted to offspring in the -same manner as in the variety of dogs, which may all be referred to one -primitive type.[4] - -PHYS.—I am somewhat amused at your idea of the change produced in the -species of trout by the formation of particular characters by particular -accidents, and their hereditary transmission. It reminds me of the -ingenious but somewhat unsound views of Darwin on the same subject. - -HAL.—I will not allow you to assimilate my views to those of an author, -who, however ingenious, is far too speculative; whose poetry has always -appeared to me weak philosophy, and his philosophy indifferent poetry: -and to whom I have been often accustomed to apply Blumenbach’s saying, -that there were many things new and many things true in his doctrines; -but that what was new was not true, and what was true was not new. - -POIET.—I think Halieus is quite in the right to be a little angry at -your observation, Physicus, in making him a disciple of a writer, who, -as well as I can recollect, has deduced the _genesis_ of the human -being, by a succession of changes dependant upon irritabilities, -sensibilities, and appetencies, from the _fish_; blending the wild -fancies of Buffon with the profound ideas of Hartly, and thus -endeavouring to give currency to an absurd romance, by mixing with it -some philosophical truths. I hope your parallel will induce him to do us -the favour to state his own notions more at large. - -HAL.—Physicus has mistaken me; and I will explain. What I mentioned of -the varieties of dogs as sprung from one type, he will, I am sure, allow -me to apply, with some modifications, to all our cultivated breeds of -animals, whether horses, oxen, sheep, hogs, geese, ducks, turkies, or -pigeons; and he will allow, that certain characters gained by accidents, -either from peculiar food, air, water, or domestic treatment, are -transmitted to, and often strengthened in the next generation; the -qualities being, as it were, doubled when belonging to both parents, and -retained in spite of counteracting causes. It will be sufficient for me -to mention only a few cases. The blood-horse of Arabia, is become the -favourite of the north of Europe, and the colts possess all the superior -qualities of their parents, even in the polar circle. The offspring of -the Merino sheep retain the fineness of their wool in England and -Saxony. Poultry, bantams, tumbling and carrier pigeons, geese, ducks, -turkies, &c., all afford instances of the same kind; and in the goose -and duck, not only is the colour of the feathers changed, but the form -of the muscles of the legs and wings; those of the wings, being little -employed, become weak and slender; those of the legs, on the contrary, -being much used, are strong and fleshy; and it is well to know this, as, -in the young birds, the muscles of the legs and thighs are the best -parts for the epicure, a large quantity of flesh being developed there, -but not yet hardened or rendered tough by exercise. These facts are of -the same kind and depend on the same principles, as the peculiarity of -the breeds or races in trouts. Fish in a clear cool river, that feed -much on larvæ, and that swallow their hard cases, become yellower, and -the red spots increase so as to outnumber the black ones; and these -qualities become fixed in the young fishes, and establish a particular -variety. If trout from a lake, or another river of a different variety, -were introduced into this river, they would not at once change their -characters; but the change would take place gradually. Thus I have known -trout from a lake in Scotland, remarkable for their deep red flesh, -introduced into another lake, where the trout had only white flesh, and -they retained the peculiar redness of their flesh for many years. At -first they all associated together in spawning in the brook which fed -the lake, but those newly introduced were easily known from their darker -backs and brighter sides. By degrees, however, from the influence of -food and other causes, they became changed; the young trout of the -introduced variety had flesh less red than their parents; and in about -twenty years the variety was entirely lost, and all the fish were in -their original white state. A very speculative reasoner might certainly -defend the hypothesis, of the change of _species_ in a long course of -ages, from the establishment of particular characters as hereditary. It -might be said, that trout, after having thickened their stomachs by -feeding on larvæ with hard cases, gained the power of eating shell-fish, -and were gradually changed to gillaroos and to char; their red spots and -the yellow colour of their belly and fins increasing. In the same manner -it might be said, that the large trout which feed almost entirely on -small fishes, gained more spines in the pectoral fins, and became a new -species; but _I_ shall not go so far, and I know no facts of this kind. -The gillaroo and the char appear always with the same characters: and I -have never seen any fish that seemed in a state of transition from a -trout to gillaroo or a char; which I think, must have been the case if -such changes took place. I hope, after this explanation, Physicus will -not find any analogy between my ideas and those of a school, to which I -am not ambitious of being thought to belong; and that he will allow my -views to be sound, or at least founded upon correct analogies. - -POIET.—Do you know any facts of a similar kind in confirmation of your -idea that the par is a mule? - -HAL.—I have heard of similar instances, but I cannot say I have myself -witnessed them. The common carp and the cruscian are said to produce a -mixed race, and likewise the rud and the roach; but I have never paid -much attention to varieties of the carp kind. A friend of mine informed -me, that in a branch of the Test, into which graylings had recently been -introduced, his fisherman caught a fish, which appeared to be from a -cross between the trout and grayling, having the high back fin of the -grayling, and the head and spots of the trout: this is the more -remarkable, if correct, as the grayling spawns in the late spring, and -the trout in the late autumn or winter: yet I _do_ recollect that I once -took a grayling in the end of November, in which the ova were so large, -as nearly to be ready for protrusion. The fisherman of the Gründtl See, -in Styria, informed me, that he had seen a fish which he believed to be -a mule between the trout and char, the fins of which resembled those of -a trout, though the body was in other respects like that of a char. The -seasons at which these two species spawn approach nearer to each other; -but the char spawns in still and the trout in running water. In general -the trout are mature before the char, yet I have seen in the -Leopoldstein See, in Styria, a female char, of which the eggs were -almost fully developed as early as June: the fisherman of the Gründtl -See said, that these peculiar fish were very rare, and that he caught -only one in about 500 char. It is not, I think, impossible, that it may -be an umbla, a fish that might be expected to be found in that deep, -cold, Alpine lake, a peculiar species and not a mixed variety. It is a -fertile and very curious subject for new experiments, that of crossing -the breeds of fishes, and offers a very interesting and untouched field -of investigation, which I hope will soon be taken up by some enlightened -country gentleman, who in this way might make not only curious but -useful discoveries. - -POIET.—So much science would be required to make these experiments with -success, and there would be so many difficulties in the way of -preserving fishes at the time they are proper for reproduction, that I -fear very few country gentlemen would be capable of prosecuting the -inquiry. - -HAL.—The science required for this object is easily attained, and the -difficulties are quite imaginary. The impregnation of the ova of fishes -is performed out of the body, and it is only necessary to pour the -seminal liquor from the melt upon the ova in water. Mr. Jacobi, a German -gentleman, who made many years ago experiments on the increase of trout -and salmon, informs us, that the ova and melt of mature fish, recently -dead, will produce living offspring. His plan of raising trout from the -egg was a very simple one. He had a box made with a small wire grating -at one end in the cover, for admitting water from a fresh source or -stream, and at the other end of the side of the box there were a number -of holes to permit the exit of the water: the bottom of the box was -filled with pebbles and gravel of different sizes, which were kept -covered with water that was always in motion. In November or the -beginning of December, when the trout were in full maturity for -spawning, and collected in the rivers for this purpose upon beds of -gravel, he caught males and females in a net, and by the pressure of his -hands, received the ova in a basin of water, and suffered the melt or -seminal fluid to pass into the basin; and after they had remained a few -minutes together, he introduced them upon the gravel in the box, which -was placed under a source of fresh, cool, and pure water. In a few weeks -the eggs burst, and the box was filled with an immense number of young -trout, which had a small bag attached to the lower part of their body -containing a part of the yolk of the egg, which was still their -nourishment. In this state they were easily carried from place to place -in confined portions of fresh water for some days, requiring apparently -no food; but, after about a week, the nourishment in their bag being -exhausted, they began to seek their food in the water, and rapidly -increased in size. As I have said before, Mr. Jacobi assures us, that -the experiment succeeded as well with mature fish, that had been killed -for the purpose of procuring the roe and melt, these having been mixed -together in cold water immediately after they were taken out of the -body. I have had this experiment tried twice, and with perfect success, -and it offers a very good mode of increasing to any extent the quantity -of trout in rivers or lakes, for the young ones are preserved from the -attacks of fishes, and other voracious animals or insects, at the time -when they are most easily destroyed, and perfectly helpless. The same -plan, I have no doubt, would answer equally well with grayling or other -varieties of the salmo genus. But in all experiments of this kind, the -great principle is, to have a constant current of fresh and aerated -water running over the eggs. The uniform supply of air to the fœtus in -the egg is essential for its life and growth, and such eggs as are not -supplied with water saturated with air are unproductive. The -experimenter must be guided exactly by the instinct of the parent -fishes, who take care to deposit the impregnated eggs, that are to -produce their offspring, only in sources continually abounding in fresh -and aerated water. - -PHYS.—But as every species of fish has a particular and usually -different time for spawning, I do not see how it could be contrived to -cross their breeds, or how the ova of a trout, which spawns in December, -could be impregnated by the seminal fluid of the grayling, which spawns -in May; for I conclude it would be impossible to preserve the eggs of a -fish out of the body in a state in which they could retain or recover -their vitality. - -HAL.—I believe I mentioned before, that I had found instances, in which -the ova of fish were developed at a different period from their natural -one; and I have no doubt, that a little inquiry respecting the habits of -fishes would enable us to acquire a knowledge of the circumstances, -which either hasten or retard their maturity. Plenty of food and a -genial season hasten the period of their reproduction, which is delayed -by want of proper nourishment, and by unfavourable weather. Males and -females likewise, confined from each other, have their generative powers -impeded; and trout, grayling, and salmon, will not deposit their ova -except in running water; so that by keeping them in tanks, the period of -their maturity might be considerably altered. I have seen char even, -which had been kept in confined water from September till July; and so -slow had been the progress of the ova, that they appeared to be about -this time fit for exclusion, though, in the natural course of things, -they would have been ripe in the end of October of the year before. By -attending to and controlling all these circumstances, I have no doubt -many interesting experiments might be made, as to the possibility of -modifying the varieties of the salmo, by impregnating the ova of one -species with the seminal fluid of another. With fishes of other genera -the task would be still more easy. Carp, perch, and pike, deposit their -ova in still water in spring and summer, when it is supplied with air by -the growth of vegetables: and it is to the leaves of plants, which -afford a continual supply of oxygen to the water, that the impregnated -eggs usually adhere; so that researches of this kind might be conducted -within doors in close vessels, filled with plants, exposed to the sun. I -have myself kept minnows and sticklebacks alive for many months in the -same confined quantity of water, containing a few confervæ; and their -ova and melt increased in the same manner, as if they had been in their -natural situation. - -ORN.—I conclude from your statements, Halieus, that nothing more is -required for the production of fishes from impregnated eggs, than a -constant supply of water of a certain temperature furnished with air; -and of course the same principles will apply to fishes of the sea. - -HAL.—There can be no doubt of it: and fishes in spawning time always -approach great shallows, or shores covered with weeds, that, in the -process of their growth, under the influence of the sunshine, constantly -supply pure air to the water in contact with them. - -POIET.—In every thing belonging to the economy of nature, I find new -reasons for wondering at the designs of Providence,—at the infinite -intelligence by which so many complicated effects are produced by the -most simple causes. The precipitation of water from the atmosphere, its -rapid motion in rivers, and its falls in cataracts, not only preserve -this element pure, but give it its vitality, and render it subservient -even to the embryo life of the fish; and the storms which agitate the -ocean, and mingle it with the atmosphere, supply at once food to marine -plants, and afford a principle of life to the fishes which inhabit its -depths. So that the perturbation and motion of the winds and waves -possess a use, and ought to impress us with a beauty higher and more -delightful even than that of the peaceful and glorious calm. - - - - - THIRD DAY. - - HALIEUS—POIETES—ORNITHER—PHYSICUS. - - SCENE—DENHAM. - - - _Morning._ - -HAL.—YOU will soon take your leave, gentlemen, of this agreeable villa, -but we must catch at least two brace of trout, to carry with us to -London as a present for two worthy patrons of the angle. For though I -know our liberal host will have a basket of fish packed up for each of -our party, yet fish taken this morning will be imagined a more -acceptable present than those caught yesterday. The May-fly is already -upon the water, though not in great quantity, and it will consequently -be more easy to catch the fish, which I see are rising with great -activity. I advise you to go to the deep water below, where you will -find the largest fish, and I will soon follow you. - -POIET.—I hope I shall catch a large fish,—a companion to that which -Ornither took yesterday with a natural fly. - - -[_Halieus leaves them fishing, and returns to the house; but soon comes -back and joins his companions, whom he finds fishing below in the -river._] - - -HAL.—Well, gentlemen, what sport? - -POIET.—The fish are rising every where; but though we have been throwing -over them with all our skill for a quarter of an hour, yet not a single -one will take, and I am afraid we shall return to breakfast without our -prey. - -HAL.—I will try; but I shall go to the other side, where I see a very -large fish rising. There!—I have him at the very first throw. Land this -fish, and put him into the well. Now I have another; and I have no doubt -I could take half a dozen in this very place, where you have been so -long fishing without success. - -PHYS.—You must have a different fly; or have you some unguent or charm -to tempt the fish? - -HAL.—No such thing. If any of you will give me your rod and fly, I will -answer for it, I shall have the same success. I take your rod, -Physicus.—And lo! I have a fish! - -PHYS.—What can be the reason of this? It is perfectly inexplicable to -me. Yet Poietes seems to throw as light as you do, and as well as he did -yesterday. - -HAL.—I am surprised, that you, who are a philosopher, cannot discover -the reason of this. Think a little. - -ALL.—We cannot. - -HAL.—As you are my scholars, I believe I must teach you. The sun is -bright, and you have been, naturally enough, fishing with your backs to -the sun, which, not being very high, has thrown the shadows of your rods -and yourselves upon the water, and you have alarmed the fish, whenever -you have thrown a fly. You see I have fished with my face towards the -sun, and though inconvenienced by the light, have given no alarm. Follow -my example, and you will soon have sport, as there is a breeze playing -on the water. - -PHYS.—Your sagacity puts me in mind of an anecdote which I remember to -have heard respecting the late eloquent statesman, Charles James Fox; -who, walking up Bond-street from one of the club-houses with an -illustrious personage, laid him a wager, that he would see more cats -than the Prince in his walk, and that he might take which side of the -street he liked. When they got to the top, it was found, that Mr. Fox -had seen thirteen cats, and the Prince not one. The royal personage -asked for an explanation of this apparent miracle, and Mr. Fox said, -“Your Royal Highness took, of course, the shady side of the way, as most -agreeable; I knew that the sunny side would be left to me, and cats -always prefer the sunshine.” - -HAL.—There! Poietes, by following my advice you have immediately hooked -a fish; and while you are catching a brace, I will tell you an anecdote, -which as much relates to fly-fishing as that of Physicus, and affords an -elucidation of a particular effect of light. - -A manufacturer of carmine, who was aware of the superiority of the -French colour, went to Lyons for the purpose of improving his process, -and bargained with the most celebrated manufacturer in that capital for -the acquisition of his secret, for which he was to pay a thousand -pounds. He was shown all the processes, and saw a beautiful colour -produced, yet he found not the least difference in the French mode of -fabrication and that which he had constantly adopted. He appealed to the -manufacturer, and insisted that he must have concealed something. The -manufacturer assured him that he had not, and invited him to see the -process a second time. He minutely examined the water and the materials, -which were the same as his own, and, very much surprised, said, “I have -lost my labour and my money, for the air of England does not permit us -to make good carmine.” “Stay,” says the Frenchman, “do not deceive -yourself: what kind of weather is it now?” “A bright sunny day,” said -the Englishman. “And such are the days,” said the Frenchman, “on which I -make my colour. Were I to attempt to manufacture it on a dark or cloudy -day, my result would be the same as yours. Let me advise you, my friend, -always to make carmine on bright and sunny days.” “I will,” says the -Englishman; “but I fear I shall make very little in London.” - -POIET.—Your anecdote is as much to the purpose as Physicus’s; yet I am -much obliged to you for the hint respecting the effect of shadow, for I -have several times in May and June had to complain of too clear a sky, -and wished, with Cotton, for - - A day with not too bright a beam; - A warm, but not a scorching, sun. - -HAL.—Whilst we have been conversing, the May-flies, which were in such -quantities, have become much fewer; and I believe the reason is, that -they have been greatly diminished by the flocks of swallows, which every -where pursue them: I have seen a single swallow take four, in less than -a quarter of a minute, that were descending to the water. - -POIET.—I delight in this living landscape! The swallow is one of my -favourite birds, and a rival of the nightingale; for he cheers my sense -of seeing as much as the other does my sense of hearing. He is the glad -prophet of the year—the harbinger of the best season: he lives a life of -enjoyment amongst the loveliest forms of nature: winter is unknown to -him; and he leaves the green meadows of England in autumn, for the -myrtle and orange groves of Italy, and for the palms of Africa:—he has -always objects of pursuit, and his success is secure. Even the beings -selected for his prey are poetical, beautiful, and transient. The -ephemeræ are saved by his means from a slow and lingering death in the -evening, and killed in a moment, when they have known nothing of life -but pleasure. He is the constant destroyer of insects,—the friend of -man; and, with the stork and the ibis, may be regarded as a sacred bird. -His instinct, which gives him his appointed seasons, and teaches him -always when and where to move, may be regarded as flowing from a Divine -Source; and he belongs to the Oracles of Nature, which speak the awful -and intelligible language of a present Deity. - - - - - FOURTH DAY. - - HALIEUS—POIETES—ORNITHER—PHYSICUS. - - FISHING FOR SALMON AND SEA TROUT. - - - _Scene—Loch Maree, West of Rosshire, Scotland._ - - _Time—Middle of July._ - -POIET.—I BEGIN to be tired. This is really a long day’s journey; and -these last ten miles through bogs, with no other view than that of -mountains half hid in mists, and brown waters that can hardly be called -lakes, and with no other trees than a few stunted birches, that look so -little alive, that they might be supposed immediately descended from the -bog-wood, every where scattered beneath our feet, have rendered it -extremely tedious. This is the most barren part of one of the most -desolate countries I have ever passed through in Europe; and though the -inn at Strathgarve is tolerable, that of Auchnasheen is certainly the -worst I have ever seen,—and I hope the worst I shall ever see. We ought -to have good amusement at Pool Ewe, to compensate us for this -uncomfortable day’s journey. - -HAL.—I trust we shall have sport, as far as salmon and sea trout can -furnish sport. But the difficulties of our journey are almost over. See, -Loch Maree is stretched at our feet, and a good boat with four oars will -carry us in four or five hours to our fishing ground; a time that will -not be misspent, for this lake is not devoid of beautiful, and even -grand scenery. - -POIET.—The scenery begins to improve; and that cloud-breasted mountain -on the left is of the best character of Scotch mountains: these woods, -likewise, are respectable for this northern country. I think I see -islands also in the distance: and the quantity of cloud always gives -effect to this kind of view; and perhaps, without such assistance to the -imagination, there would be nothing even approaching to the sublime in -these countries; but cloud and mist, by creating obscurity and offering -a substitute for greatness and distance, give something of an alpine and -majestic character to this region. - -ORN.—As we are now fixed in our places in the boat, you will surely put -out a rod or two with a set of flies, or try the tail of the par for a -large trout or salmon: our fishing will not hinder our progress. - -HAL.—In most other lakes I should do so; here I have often tried the -experiment, but never with success. This lake is extremely deep, and -there are very few fish which haunt it generally except char; and salmon -seldom rest but in particular parts along the shore, which we shall not -touch. Our voyage will be a picturesque, rather than an angling one. I -see we shall have little occasion for the oars, for a strong breeze is -rising, and blowing directly down the lake; we shall be in it in a -minute. Hoist the sails; On we go!—we shall make our voyage in half the -number of hours I had calculated upon; and I hope to catch a salmon in -time for dinner. - -POIET.—The scenery improves as we advance nearer the lower parts of the -lake. The mountains become higher, and that small island or peninsula -presents a bold, craggy outline; and the birch wood below it, and the -pines above, form a scene somewhat Alpine in character. But what is that -large bird soaring above the pointed rock, towards the end of the lake? -Surely it is an eagle! - -HAL.—Your are right, it is an eagle, and of a rare and peculiar -species—the gray or silver eagle, a noble bird! From the size of the -animal, in must be the female; and her aery is in that high rock. I dare -say the male is not far off. - -PHYS.—I think I see another bird, of a smaller size, perched on the rock -below, which is similar in form. - -HAL.—You do: it is the consort of that beautiful and powerful bird; and -I have no doubt their young ones are near at hand. - -POIET.—Look at the bird! How she dashes into the water, falling like a -rock, and raising a colume of spray: she has dropped from a great -height. And now she rises again into the air: what an extraordinary -sight! - -HAL.—She is pursuing her prey, and is one of our fraternity,—a catcher -of fish. She has missed her quarry this time, and has soared further -down towards the river, to fall again from a great height. There! You -see her rise with a fish in her talons. - -POIET.—She gives an interest to this scene, which I hardly expected to -have found. Pray are there many of these animals in this country? - -HAL.—Of this species, I have seen but these two, and I believe the young -ones migrate as soon as they can provide for themselves; for this -solitary bird requires a large space to move and feed in, and does not -allow its offspring to partake its reign, or to live near it. Of other -species of the eagle, there are some in different parts of the -mountains, particularly of the Osprey, and of the great fishing or brown -eagle. I once saw a very fine and interesting sight above one of the -Crags of Ben Weevis, near Strathgarve, as I was going, on the 20th of -August, in pursuit of black game. Two parent eagles were teaching their -offspring—two young birds, the manœuvres of flight. They began by rising -from the top of a mountain in the eye of the sun (it was about midday, -and bright for this climate). They at first made small circles, and the -young birds imitated them; they paused on their wings, waiting till they -had made their first flight, and then took a second and larger -gyration,—always rising towards the sun, and enlarging their circle of -flight so as to make a gradually extending spiral. The young ones still -slowly followed, apparently flying better as they mounted; and they -continued this sublime kind of exercise, always rising, till they became -mere points in the air, and the young ones were lost, and afterwards -their parents, to our aching sight. But we have touched the shore, and -the lake has terminated: you are now on the river Ewe. - -POIET.—Are we to fish here? It is a broad clear stream, but I see no -fish, and cannot think it a good angling river. - -HAL.—We are nearly a mile above our fishing station, and we must first -see our quarters and provide for our lodging, before we begin our -fishing: to the inn we have only a short walk. - -POIET.—Why this inn is a second edition of Auchnasheen. - -HAL.—The interior is better than the exterior, thanks to the Laird of -Brahan: we shall find one tolerable room and bed; and we must put up our -cots and provide our food. What is our store, Mr. Purveyor? - -PHYS.—I know we have good bread, tea, and sugar. Then there is the -quarter of roe-buck presented to us at Gordon Castle; and Ornither has -furnished us with a brace of wild ducks, three leash of snipes, and a -brace of golden plovers, by his mountain expedition of yesterday; and -for fish we depend on you. Yet our host says there are fresh herrings to -be had, and small cod-fish, and salmon and trout in any quantity, and -the claret and the Ferintosh are safe. - -HAL.—Why we shall fare sumptuously. As it is not time yet for shooting -grouse, we must divide our spoil for the few days we shall stay here. -Yet there are young snipes and plovers on the mountains above, and I -have no doubt we might obtain the Laird’s permission to kill a roe-buck -in the woods or a hart on the mountains; but this is always an uncertain -event, and I advise you, Ornither, to become a fisherman. - -ORN.—I shall wait till I see the results of your skill. At all events, -in this country I can never want amusement, and I dare say there are -plenty of seals at the mouth of the river, and killing them is more -useful to other fishermen than catching fish. - -HAL.—Let there be a kettle of water with salt ready boiling in an hour, -mine host, for the fish we catch or buy; and see that the potatoes are -well dressed: the servants will look to the rest of our fare. Now for -our rods. - -POIET.—This is a fine river; clear, full, but not too large: with the -two handed rod it may be commanded in most parts. - -HAL.—It is larger than usual. The strong wind which brought us so -quickly down has made it fuller; and it is not in such good order for -fishing as it was before the wind rose. - -POIET.—I thought the river was always the better for a flood, when -clear. - -HAL.—Better after a flood from rain; for this brings the fish up, who -know when rain is coming, and likewise brings down food and makes the -fish feed. But when the water is raised by a strong wind, the fish never -run, as they are sure to find no increase in the spring heads, which are -their objects in running. - -POIET.—You give the fish credit for great sagacity. - -HAL.—Call it instinct rather; for if they _reasoned_, they would run -with every large water, whether from wind or rain. What the feeling or -power is, which makes them travel with rain, I will not pretend to -define. But now for our sport. - -POIET.—The fish are beginning to rise; I have seen two here already, and -there is a third, and a fourth—scarcely a quarter of a minute elapses -without a fish rising in some parts of the pool. - -HAL.—As the day is dark, I shall use a bright and rather a large fly -with jay’s hackle, kingfisher’s feather under the wing, and golden -pheasant’s tail, and wing of mixed grouse and argus pheasant’s tail. I -shall throw over these fish: I ought to raise one. - -POIET.—Either you are not skilful, or the fish know their danger: they -will not rise. - -HAL.—I will try another and a smaller fly. - -POIET.—You do nothing. - -HAL.—I have changed my fly a third time, yet no fish rises. I cannot -understand this. The water is not in good order, or I should certainly -have raised a fish or two. Now I will wager ten to one, that this pool -has been fished before to-day. - -ORN.—By whom? - -HAL.—I know not; but take my wager and we will ascertain. - -ORN.—I shall ascertain without the wager if possible. See, a man -connected with the fishery advances, let us ask him.—There you see; it -has been fished once or twice by one, who claims without charter the -right of angling. - -HAL.—I told you so. Now I know this, I shall put on another kind of fly, -such as I am sure they have not seen this day. - -POIET.—It is very small and very gaudy, I believe made with humming -bird’s feathers. - -HAL.—No. The brightest Java dove’s hackle; kingfisher’s blue, and golden -pheasant’s feathers, and the red feathers of the paroquet. There was a -fish that rose and missed the fly—a sea trout. There, he has taken it, a -fresh run fish, from his white belly and blue back. - -POIET.—How he springs out of the water! He must be 6 or 7lbs. - -HAL.—Under five, I am sure; he will soon be tired. He fights with less -spirit: put the net under him. There, he is a fine fed sea trout, -between 4 and 5lbs. But our intrusive brother angler (as I must call -him) is coming down the river to take his evening cast. A stout -Highlander, with a powerful tail,—or, as we should call it in England, -suite. He is resolved not to be driven off, and I am not sure that the -Laird himself could divert him from his purpose, except by a stronger -tail, and force of arms; but I will try my eloquence upon him. “Sir, we -hope you will excuse us for fishing in this pool, where it seems you -were going to take your cast; but the Laird has desired us to stand in -his shoes for a few days, and has given up angling while we are here; -and as we come nearly a thousand miles for this amusement, we are sure -you are too much of a gentleman to spoil our sport; and we will take -care to supply your fish kettle while we are here, morning and evening, -and we shall send you, as we hope, a salmon before night.” - -POIET.—He grumbles good sport to us, and is off with his tail: you have -hit him in the right place. He is a pot fisher, I am sure, and somewhat -hungry, and, provided he gets the salmon, does not care who catches it! - -HAL.—You are severe on the Highland gentleman, and I think extremely -unjust. Nothing could be more ready than his assent, and a keen -fisherman must not be expected to be in the best possible humour, when -he finds sport which he believes he has a right to, and which perhaps he -generally enjoys without interruption, taken away from him by entire -strangers. There is, I know, a disputed point about fishing with the -rod, between him and the Laird; and it would have been too much to have -anticipated a courteous greeting from one, who considers us as the -representatives of an enemy. But I see there is a large fish which has -just risen at the tail of the pool. I think he is fresh run from the -sea, for the tide is coming in. My fly and tackle are almost too fine -for so large a fish, and I will put on my first fly with a very strong -single gut link and a stretcher of triple gut. He has taken my fly, and -I hold him—a powerful fish: he must be between 10 and 15lbs. He fights -well, and tries to get up the rapid at the top of the pool. I must try -my strength with him, to keep him off that rock, or he will break me. I -have turned him, and he is now in a good part of the pool: such a fish -cannot be tired in a minute or two, but requires from ten to twenty, -depending upon his activity and strength, and the rapidity of the stream -he moves against. He is now playing against the strongest rapid in the -river, and will soon give in, should he keep his present place. - -POIET.—You have tired him. - -HAL.—He seems fairly tired: I shall bring him in to shore. Now gaff him; -strike as near the tail as you can. He is safe; we must prepare him for -the pot.—Give him a stunning blow on the head to deprive him of -sensation, and then make a transverse cut just below the gills, and -crimp him, by cutting to the bone on each side, so as almost to divide -him into slices: and now hold him by the tail that he may bleed. There -is a small spring, I see, close under that bank, which I dare say has -the mean temperature of the atmosphere in this climate, and is much -under 50°—place him there, and let him remain for ten minutes; then -carry him to the pot, and before you put in a slice let the water and -salt boil furiously, and give time to the water to recover its heat -before you throw in another; and so proceed with the whole fish: leave -the head out, and throw in the thickest pieces first. - -PHYS.—Why did you not crimp your trout? - -HAL.—We will have him fried. Our poacher prevented me from attending to -the preparation; but for frying he is better not crimped, as he is not -large enough to give good transverse slices. - -POIET.—This salmon is a good fish, and fresh as you said from the sea. -You see the salt-water louse adheres to his sides, and he is bright and -silvery, and a thick fish; I dare say his weight is not less than -14lbs., and I know of no better fish for the table than one of that -size. - -PHYS.—It appears to me that so powerful a fish ought to have struggled -much longer: yet, without great exertions on your part, in ten minutes -he appeared quite exhausted, and lay on his side as if dying: this -induces me to suppose, that there must be some truth in the vulgar -opinion of anglers, that fish are, as it were, drowned by the play of -the rod and reel. - -HAL.—The vulgar opinion of anglers on this subject I believe to be -perfectly correct: though, to apply the word drowning to an animal that -lives in the water is not quite a fit use of language. Fish, as you -ought to know, respire by passing water, which always holds common air -in solution, through their gills or bronchial membrane, by the use of a -system of muscles surrounding the fauces, which occasion constant -contractions and expansions, or openings and closings of this membrane, -and the life of the fish is dependant on the process in the same manner -as that of a quadruped is on inspiring and expiring air. When a fish is -hooked in the upper part of the mouth by the strength of the rod applied -as a lever to the line, it is scarcely possible for him to open the -gills as long as this force is exerted, particularly when he is moving -in a rapid stream; and when he is hooked in the lower jaw, his mouth is -kept closed by the same application of the strength of the rod, so that -no aerated water can be inspired. Under these circumstances he is -quickly deprived of his vital forces, particularly when he exhausts his -strength by moving in a rapid stream. A fish, hooked in a part of the -mouth where the force of the rod will render his efforts to respire -unavailing, is much in the same state as that of a deer caught round the -neck by the lasso of a South American peon, who gallops forwards, -dragging his victim after him, which is killed by strangulation in a -very short time. When fishes are hooked foul, that is, on the outside of -the body, as in the fins or tail, they will often fight for many hours, -and in such cases very large salmon are seldom caught, as they retain -their powers of breathing unimpaired; and if they do not exhaust -themselves by violent muscular efforts, they may bid defiance to the -temper and the skill of the fisherman. A large salmon, hooked in the -upper part of the mouth in the cartilage or bone, will sometimes -likewise fight for a long while, particularly if he keep in the deep and -still parts of the river: for he is able to prevent the force of the -hook, applied by the rod, from interfering with his respiration, and by -a powerful effort, can maintain his place, and continue to breathe in -spite of the exertions of the angler. A fish, in such case, is said to -be sulky, and his instinct, or his sagacity, generally enables him to -conquer his enemy. It is, however, rarely that fishes hooked in the -mouth are capable of using freely the muscles subservient to -respiration; and their powers are generally, sooner or later, destroyed -by suffocation. - -POIET.—The explanation that you have just been giving us of the effects -of playing fish, I confess alarms me, and makes me more afraid than I -was before, that we are pursuing a very cruel amusement; for death by -strangling, I conceive, must be very laborious, slow, and painful. - -PHYS.—I think as I did before I was an angler, as to the merciless -character of field-sports; but I doubt if this part of the process of -the fly-fisher ought so strongly to alarm your feelings. As far as -analogies from warm-blooded animals can apply to the case, the death -that follows obstructed respiration is quick, and preceded by -insensibility. There are many instances of persons who have recovered -from the apparent death produced by drowning, and had no recollection of -any violent or intense agony; indeed, the alarm or passion of fear -generally absorbs all the sensibility, and the physical suffering is -lost in the mental agitation. I can answer from my own experience, that -there is no pain which precedes the insensibility occasioned by -breathing gasses unfitted for supporting life, but oftener a pleasurable -feeling, as in the case of the respiration of nitrous oxide. And in the -suffocation produced by the gradual abstraction of air in a close room -where charcoal is burning, we have the record of the son of a celebrated -chymist, that the sensation which precedes the deep sleep that ends in -death is agreeable. There is far more pain in recovering from the -insensibility produced by the abstraction of air than in undergoing it, -as I can answer from my own feelings; and it is, I believe, quite true, -what has been asserted, that the pain of being born, which is acquiring -the power of respiration, is greater than that of dying, which is losing -the power. - -ORN.—I have heard, that persons, who have been recovered from the -insensibility produced by hanging, have never any recollection of the -sufferings which preceded it; and as the blood is immediately determined -to the head in this operation, probably apoplectic insensibility is -almost instantaneous. - -There is on record a very remarkable trial respecting the death of an -Italian, who was for many years in the habit of being hanged for the -purpose of producing the temporary excitement of organs that had lost -their power, and who ultimately fell a victim to this depraved and -dangerous practice; but I will not dwell upon this case, which is well -authenticated, and which is equally revolting to good feelings and -delicacy. - -HAL.—The laws of nature are all directed by Divine Wisdom for the -purpose of preserving life and increasing happiness. Pain seems in all -cases to precede the mutilation or destruction of those organs which are -essential to vitality, and for _the end_ of preserving them; but the -mere process of dying seems to be the falling into a deep slumber; and -in animals, who have no fear of death dependent upon imagination, it can -hardly be accompanied by very intense suffering. In the human being, -moral and intellectual motives constantly operate in enhancing the fear -of death, which, without these motives in a reasoning being, would -probably become null, and the love of life be lost upon every slight -occasion of pain or disgust; but imagination is creative with respect to -both these passions, which, if they exist in animals, exist independent -of reason, or as instincts. Pain seems intended by an all-wise -Providence to prevent the _dissolution_ of organs, and cannot follow -their _destruction_. I know several instances in which the process of -death has been observed, even to its termination, by good philosophers; -and the instances are worth repeating: Dr. Cullen, when dying, is said -to have faintly articulated to one of his intimates, “I wish I had the -power of writing or speaking, for then I would describe to you how -pleasant a thing it is to die.” Dr. Black, worn out by age and a -disposition to pulmonary hemorrhage, which obliged him to live very low, -whilst eating his customary meal of bread and milk, fell asleep, and -died in so tranquil a manner, that he had not even spilt the contents of -the spoon which he held in his hand. And the late Sir Charles Blagden, -whilst at a social meal with his friends, Mons. and Mad. Berthollet and -Gay-Lussac, died in his chair so quietly, that not a drop of the coffee -in the cup which he held in his hand was spilt. - -POIET.—Give us no more such instances, for I do not think it wise to -diminish the love of life, or to destroy the fear of death. - -HAL.—There is no danger of this. These passions are founded on immutable -laws of our nature, which philosophy cannot change; and it would be good -if we could give the same security of duration to the love of virtue and -the fear of vice or shame, which are connected with immutable interests, -and which ought to occupy far more the consideration of beings destined -for immortality.—But to our business. - -Now we have fish for dinner, my task is finished: Physicus and Poietes, -try your skill. I have not fished over the best parts of this pool: you -may catch a brace of fish here before dinner is ready. - -PHYS.—It is too late, and I shall go and see that all is right. - -POIET.—I will take one or two casts; but give me your fly: I like always -to be sure that the tackle is taking. - -HAL.—Try at first the very top of the pool,—though I fear you will get -nothing there; but here is a cast which I think the Highlander can -hardly have commanded from the other side, and which is rarely without a -good fish. There, he rose: a large trout of 10lbs., or a salmon. Now -wait a few minutes. When a fish has missed the fly, he will not rise -again till after a pause—particularly if he has been for some time in -the fresh water. Now try him again. He has risen, but he is a dark fish -that has been some time in the water, and he tries to drown the fly with -a blow of his tail. I fear you will not hook him except foul, when most -likely he would break you. Try the bottom of the pool, below where I -caught my fish. - -POIET.—I have tried all the casts, and nothing rises. - -HAL.—Come, we will change the fly for that which I used. - -POIET.—Now I have one: he has taken the fly under water, and I cannot -see him. - -HAL.—Straighten your line, and we shall soon see him. He is a sea trout, -but not a large one. - -POIET.—But he fights like a salmon, and must be near 5lbs. - -HAL.—Under 3lbs.; but these fish are always strong and active, and -sometimes give more sport than larger fish. Shorten your line, or he -will carry you over the stones and cut the link gut. He is there -already: you have allowed him to carry out too much line; wind up as -quick as you can, and keep a tight hand upon him. He is now back to a -good place, and in a few minutes more will be spent. I have the net. -There, he is a sea trout of nearly 3lbs. This will be a good addition to -our dinner: I will crimp him, that you may compare boiled sea trout with -broiled, and with salmon. Now, if you please, we will cool this fish at -the spring, and then go to our inn. - -POIET.—If you like. I am endeavouring to find a reason for the effect of -crimping and cold in preserving the curd of fish. Have you ever thought -on this subject? - -HAL.—Yes: I conclude that the fat of salmon between the flakes of the -muscles is mixed with much albumen and gelatine, and is extremely liable -to decompose, and by keeping it cool, the decomposition is retarded; and -by the boiling salt and water, which is of a higher temperature than -that of common boiling water, the albumen is coagulated, and the -curdiness preserved. The crimping, by preventing the irritability of the -fibre from being gradually exhausted, seems to preserve it so hard and -crisp, that it breaks under the teeth; and a fresh fish not crimped is -generally tough. A friend of mine, an excellent angler, has made some -experiments on the fat of fish; and he considers the red colour of -trout, salmon, and char, as owing to a peculiar coloured oil, which may -be extracted by alcohol; and this accounts for the want of it in fish -that have fed ill, and after spawning. In general, the depth of the red -colour and the quantity of curd are proportional. - -POIET.—Would not the fish be still better, or at least possess more -curd, if caught in a net and killed immediately? In the operation of -tiring by the reel there must be considerable muscular exertion, and I -should suppose expenditure of oily matter. - -HAL.—There can be no doubt but the fish would be in a more perfect state -for the table from the nets; yet a fish in high season does not lose so -much fat during the short time he is on the hook, as to make much -difference; and I am not sure, that the action of crimping after does -not give a better sort of crispness to the fibre. This, however, may be -fancy; we will discuss the matter again at table. See! our companion on -the lake, the eagle, is coming down the river, and has pounced upon a -fish in the pool near the sea. - -PHYS.—I fear he will interfere with our sport: let us request Ornither -to shoot him. I wish to see him nearer, and to preserve him as a -specimen for the Zoological Society. - -HAL.—O! no. He will not spoil our sport; and I think it would be a pity -to deprive this spot of one of its poetical ornaments. Besides, the pool -where he is now fishing contains scarcely any thing but trout; it is too -shallow for salmon, who run into the cruives. - -POIET.—I am of your opinion, and shall use my eloquence to prevent -Ornither from attempting the life of so beautiful a bird; so majestic in -its form, so well suited to the scenery, and so picturesque in all its -habits. - -THE INNKEEPER.—Gentlemen, dinner is ready. - - - THE DINNER. - -HAL.—Now take your places. What think you of our fish? - -PHYS.—I never ate better; but I want the Harvey or Reading sauce. - -HAL.—Pray let me intreat you to use no other sauce than the water in -which he was boiled. I assure you this is the true Epicurean way of -eating fresh salmon: and for the trout, use only a little vinegar and -mustard,—a sauce _à la Tartare_, without the onions. - -POIET.—Well, nothing can be better; and I do not think fresh net-caught -fish can be superior to these. - -HAL.—And these snipes are excellent. Either my journey has given me an -appetite, or I think they are the best I ever tasted. - -ORN.—They are good, but I have tasted better. - -HAL.—Where? - -ORN.—On the continent; where the common snipe, that rests during its -migration from the north to the south in the marshes of Italy and -Carniola, and the double or solitary snipe, become so fat, as to -resemble that bird, which was formerly fattened in Lincolnshire, the -ruff; and they have, I think, a better flavour from being fed on their -natural food. - -HAL.—At what time have you eaten them? - -ORN.—I have eaten them both in spring and autumn; but the autumnal birds -are the best, and are like the ortolan of Italy. - -HAL.—Where does the double snipe winter? - -ORN.—I believe in Africa and Asia Minor. They are rarely seen in -England, except driven by an east wind in the spring, or a strong north -wind in the autumn. Their natural progress is to and from Finland and -Siberia, through the continent of Europe, to and from the east and -south.[5] In autumn they pass more east, both because they are aided by -west winds, and because the marshes in the east of Europe are wetter in -that season; and in spring they return, but the larger proportion -through Italy, where they are carried by the _Sirocco_, and which at -that time is _extremely wet_. Come, let us have another bottle of -claret: a pint per man is not too much after such a day’s fatigue. - -HAL.—You have made me president for these four days, and I forbid it. A -half pint of wine for young men in perfect health is enough, and you -will be able to take your exercise better, and feel better for this -abstinence. How few people calculate upon the effects of constantly -renewed fever, in our luxurious system of living in England! The heart -is made to act too powerfully, the blood is thrown upon the nobler -parts, and, with the system of wading adopted by some sportsmen, whether -in shooting or fishing, is delivered either to the hemorrhoidal veins, -or, what is worse, to the head. I have known several free livers, who -have terminated their lives by apoplexy, or have been rendered miserable -by palsy, in consequence of the joint effects of cold feet and too -stimulating a diet; that is to say, as much animal food as they could -eat, with a pint or perhaps a bottle of wine per day. Be guided by me, -my friends, and neither drink nor wade. I know there are old men who -have done both, and have enjoyed perfect health; but these are _devil’s -decoys_ to the unwary, and ten suffer for one that escapes. I could -quote to you an instance from this very county, in one of the strongest -men I have ever known. He was not intemperate, but he lived luxuriously, -and waded as a salmon fisher for many years in this very river; but -before he was fifty, palsy deprived him of the use of his limbs, and he -is still a living example of the danger of the system which you are -ambitious of adopting. - -ORN.—Well, I give up the wine, but I intend to wade in Hancock’s boots -to-morrow. - -HAL.—Wear them, but do not wade in them. The feet must become cold in a -stream of water constantly passing over the caoutchouc and leather, -notwithstanding the thick stockings. They are good for keeping the feet -warm, and I think where there is exercise, as in snipe shooting, they -may be used without any bad effects. But I advise no one to stand still -(which an angler must do sometimes) in the water, even with these -ingenious water-proof inventions. All anglers should remember old -Boerhaave’s maxims of health, and act upon them: “Keep the feet warm, -the head cool, and the body open.” - -PHYS.—I am sorry we did not examine more minutely the weight and size of -the fish we caught, and compare the anatomy of the salmon and the sea -trout; but we were in too great a hurry to see them on the table, and -our philosophy yielded to our hunger. - -HAL.—We shall have plenty of opportunities for this examination; and we -can now walk down to the fishing-house and see probably half a hundred -fish of different sizes, that have been taken in the cruives, this -evening, and examine them at our leisure. - -ALL.—Let us go! - - -PHYS.—I never saw so many fish of this kind before; and I conclude that -heap of smaller fish is composed of trout. - -HAL.—Certainly. Let us compare one of the largest trout with a salmon. I -have selected two fresh run fish, which, from their curved lower jaws, -are, I conclude, both males. The salmon you see is broader, has a tail -rather more forked, and the teeth in proportion are rather smaller. The -trout, likewise, has larger and more black brown spots on the body; and -the head of the trout is a little larger in proportion. The salmon has -14 spines in the pectoral fins, 10 in each of the ventral, 13 in the -anal, 21 in the caudal, and 15 in the dorsal. The salmon measures 38½ -inches in length and 21 inches in girth, and his weight, as you see, is -22¼lbs. The trout has one spine less in the pectoral, and two less in -the anal fin, and measures 30¼ inches in length, and 16 inches in girth, -and his weight is 11lbs. We will now open them. The stomach of the -salmon, you perceive, contains nothing but a little yellow fluid, and, -though the salmon is twice as large, does not exceed much in size that -of the trout. The stomach of the trout, unlike that of the salmon, will -be found full of food: we will open it. See, there are half digested -sand eels which come out of it. - -PHYS.—But surely the stomachs of salmon must sometimes, when opened, -contain food? - -HAL.—I have opened ten or twelve, and never found any thing in their -stomachs but tape-worms, bred there, and some yellow fluid; but, I -believe, this is generally owing to their being caught at the time of -migration, when they are travelling from the sea upwards, and do not -willingly load themselves with food. Their digestion appears to be very -quick, and their habits seem to show, that after having taken a bait in -the river they do not usually seek another, till the work of digestion -is nearly performed: but when they are taken at sea, and in rivers in -the winter, food, I am told, is sometimes found in their stomachs. The -sea trout is a much more voracious fish, and, like the land trout, is -not willingly found with an empty stomach. - -PHYS.—I presume the sea trout is the fish called by Linnæus, in his -Fauna, _Salmo Eriox_? - -HAL.—I know not: but I should rather think that fish a variety of the -common salmon. - -PHYS.—But there are surely other species of salmon, that live in the sea -and come into our rivers: I have heard of fish called _grays_, _bull -trout_, _scurfs_, _morts_, _peales_, and _whitlings_. - -HAL.—I have never been able to identify more than the _salmo salar_, or -salmon, and _salmo trutta_, or sea trout, in the rivers of Britain and -Ireland. The whitlings I believe to be the young of the sea trout. A sea -trout which I saw in Ireland, called a bull trout, was of the same kind -as these you see here, but fresh water trout are sometimes carried in -floods to the sea, and come back larger and altered in colour and form, -and are then mistaken for new species: and as each river possesses a -peculiar variety belonging to it, this, with differences depending upon -food and size, will, I think, account for the peculiarities of -particular fish, without the necessity of supposing them distinct -species. I remember many years ago, the first time I ever fished for -salmon in spring in the Tweed, I caught with the fly, one fine morning -in March, two fish nearly of the same length: one was a male of the last -season, that had lost its melt; the other a female fresh from the sea. -They were so unlike, that they did not appear of the same species: the -spent or kipper salmon was long and lean, showing an immense head, -spotted all over with black and brown spots, and the belly almost black; -the other bright and silvery, without spots, and the head small. Even -the pectoral and anal fins had more spines in the newly run fish, some -of the smaller ones having been probably rubbed off in spawning by the -other. I would not for some time, till assured by an experienced -fisherman, believe, that the spent fish was a salmon; and when their -flesh was compared on the table, one was white, flabby, and bad, and -without curd; the other of the brightest pink, and full of dense curd. -Then, though of the same length, one weighed only 4lbs., the other -9½lbs. When it is recollected, that different salmon and sea trout spawn -at different times in the same river, and that fish of the same year, -being born at different seasons, from Christmas to Lady-day,—and having -migrated to the sea in spring—run up the rivers of all sizes in summer -and autumn—the young salmon from 2 to 10lbs. in weight, the young sea -trout from ½ to 3lbs. in weight—it is not difficult to account for the -variety of names given by casual observers to individuals of these two -species. But I must not forget my promise of sending a fish to the -Highlander, with whose sport we have interfered. There is a good salmon, -which shall be taken to him immediately, and for which I shall pay the -taxman his usual price of 5_d._ per pound. - - - - - FIFTH DAY. - - HALIEUS—POIETES—ORNITHER—PHYSICUS. - - - MORNING. - -HAL.—WELL, is your tackle all ready? It is a fine fresh and cloudy -morning, with a gentle breeze—a day made for salmon fishing. - - -[_They proceed to the river_.] - - -HAL.—Now, my friends, I give up the two best pools to you till one -o’clock; and I shall amuse myself above and below—probably with trout -fishing. As there is a promise of a mixed day, with—what is rare in this -country—a good deal of sunshine, I will examine your flies a little, and -point out those I think likely to be useful; or rather, I will show you -my flies, and, as you all have duplicates of them, you can each select -the fly which I point out, and place in it a part of the book where it -may easily be found. First: when the cloud is on, I advise the use of -one of these three golden twisted flies, with silk bodies, orange, red -and pale blue, with red, orange, and gray hackle, golden pheasant’s -hackle for tail, and kingfisher’s blue and golden pheasant’s brown -hackle under the wing; beginning with the brightest fly, and changing to -the darker one. Should the clouds disappear, and it become bright, -change your flies for darker ones, of which I will point out three:—a -fly with a brown body and a red cock’s hackle, one with a dun body and -black hackle and light wing, and one with a black body, a hackle of the -same colour, and a brown mallard’s wing. All these flies have, you see, -silver twist round their bodies, and all kingfisher’s feather under the -wing, and golden pheasant’s feather for the tail. For the size of your -flies, I recommend the medium size, as the water is small to-day; but -trying all sizes, from the butterfly size of a hook of half an inch in -width, to one of a quarter. Now, Physicus, cast your orange fly into -that rapid at the top of the pool; I saw a large fish run there this -moment. You fish well, were common trout your object; but, in salmon -fishing, you must alter your manner of moving the fly. It must not float -quietly down the water; you must allow it to sink a little, and then -pull it back by a gentle jerk—not raising it out of the water,—and then -let it sink again, till it has been shown in motion, a little below the -surface, in every part of your cast. That is right,—he has risen. - -PHYS.—I hold him. He is a noble fish! - -HAL.—He is a large grilse, I see by his play; or a young salmon, of the -earliest born this spring. Hold him tight; he will fight hard. - -PHYS.—There! he springs out of the water! Once, twice, thrice, four -times! He is a merry one! - -HAL.—He runs against the stream, and will soon be tired,—but do not -hurry him. Pull hard now, to prevent him from running round that stone. -He comes in. I will gaff him for you. I have him! A goodly fish of this -tide. But see, Poietes has a larger fish at the bottom of the great -pool, and is carried down by him almost to the sea. - -POIET.—I cannot hold him! He has run out all my line. - -HAL.—I see him: he is hooked foul, and I fear we shall never recover -him, for he is going out to sea. Give me the rod,—I will try and turn -him; and do you run down to the entrance of the pool, and throw stones, -to make him, if possible, run back. Ay! that stone has done good -service; he is now running up into the pool again. Now call the -fisherman, and tell him to bring a long pole, to keep him if possible -from the sea. You have a good assistant, and I will leave you, for -tiring this fish will be at least a work of two hours. He is not much -less than 20lbs. and is hooked under the gills, so that you cannot -suffocate him by a straight line. I wish you good fortune; but should he -turn sulky, you must not allow him to rest, but make the fisherman move -him with the pole again; your chance of killing him depends upon his -being kept incessantly in action, so that he may exhaust himself by -exercise. I shall go and catch you some river trout for your dinner;—but -I am glad to see, before I take my leave of you, that Ornither has -likewise hold of a fish,—and, from his activity, a lusty sea trout. - - -[_He goes, and returns in the afternoon_.] - - -HAL.—Well, Poietes, I hope to see your fish of 20lbs. - -POIET.—Alas! he broke me,—turned sulky, and went to the bottom; and when -he was roused again, my line came back without the fly; so that I -conclude he had cut my links by rubbing them against some sharp stone. -But I have caught two grilses and a sea trout since, and lost two -others, salmons or grilses, that fairly got the hooks out of their -mouths. - -HAL.—And, Ornither, what have you done? Well, I see,—a salmon, a grilse, -and a sea trout. And Physicus? - -PHYS.—I have lost three fish; one of which broke me, at the top of the -pool, by running amongst the rocks; and I have only one small sea trout. - -HAL.—Your fortune will come another day. Why, you have not a single -crimped fish for dinner, and it is now nearly two o’clock; and you have -been catching for the picklers, for those fish may all go to the -boiling-house. I must again be your purveyor. Can you point out to me -any part of this pool where you have not fished? - -ALL.—No. - -HAL.—Then I have little chance. - -PHYS.—O yes! you have a charm for catching fish. - -HAL.—Let me know what flies you have tried, and I may perhaps tell you -if I have a chance. With my small bright humming bird, as you call it, I -will make an essay. - -POIET.—But this fishery is really very limited; and two pools for four -persons a small allowance. - -HAL.—If you could have seen this river twenty years ago, when the -cruives were a mile higher up, then you might have enjoyed fishing. -There were eight or ten pools, of the finest character possible for -angling, where a fisherman of my acquaintance has hooked thirty fish in -a morning. The river was then perfect, and it might easily be brought -again into the same state; but even as it is now, with this single good -pool and this second tolerable one, I know no place where I could, in -the summer months, be so secure of sport as here—certainly no where in -Great Britain. - -POIET.—I have often heard the Tay and the Tweed vaunted as salmon -rivers. - -HAL.—They were good salmon rivers, and are still very good, as far as -the profit of the proprietor is concerned; but, for angling, they are -very much deteriorated. The net fishing, which is constantly going on, -except on Sundays and in close time, suffers very few fish to escape; -and a Sunday’s flood offers the sole chance of a good day’s sport, and -this only in particular parts of these rivers. I remember the Tweed and -the Tay in a far better state. The Tweed, in the late Lord Somerville’s -time, always contained taking-fish after every flood in the summer. In -the Tay, only ten years ago, at Mickleure, I was myself one of two -anglers who took eight fine fish,—three of them large salmon,—in a short -morning’s fishing: but now, except in spring fishing, when the fish are -little worth taking, there is no certainty of sport in these rivers; and -one, two, or three fish (which last is of rare occurrence,) are all even -an experienced angler can hope to take in a day’s skilful and constant -angling. - -POIET.—You have fished in most of the salmon rivers of the north of -Europe,—give us some idea of the kind of sport they afford. - -HAL.—I have fished in some, but perhaps not in the best; for this it is -necessary to go into barbarous countries—Lapland, or the extreme north -of Norway; and I have generally loved too much the comforts of life to -make any greater sacrifices than such as are made in our present -expedition. I have heard the river at Drontheim boasted of as an -excellent salmon river,—and I know two worthy anglers who have tried it; -but I do not think they took more fish in a day than I have sometimes -taken in Scotland and Ireland. All the Norwegian rivers that I tried -(and they were in the south of Norway) contained salmon. I fished in the -Glommen, one of the largest rivers in Europe; in the Mandals, which -appeared to me the best fitted for taking salmon; the Arendal and the -Torrisdale;—but, though I saw salmon rise in all these rivers, I never -took a fish larger than a sea trout; of these I always caught many—and -even in the _fiords_, or small inland salt-water bays; but I think never -any one more than a pound in weight. It is true, I was in Norway in the -beginning of July, in exceedingly bright weather, and when there was no -night; for even at twelve o’clock the sky was so bright, that I read the -smallest print in the columns of a newspaper. I was in Sweden later—in -August: I fished in the magnificent Gotha, below that grand fall -Trolhetta, which to see is worth a voyage from England: but I never -raised there any fish worth taking: yet a gentleman from Gothenburg told -me he had formerly taken large trout there. I caught, in this noble -stream, a little trout about as long as my hand; and the only fish I got -to eat at Trolhetta was bream. The Falkenstein, a darker water, very -like a second-rate Scotch river—say the Don—abounds in salmon; and there -I had a very good day’s fishing. I took six fish, which gave me great -sport; they were grilses, under 6lbs; but I lost a salmon, which I think -was above 10lbs. This river, I conceive, must be, generally, excellent; -it is not covered with saw-mills, like most of the Norwegian rivers; its -colour is good, and it is not so clear as the rivers of the south of -Norway. - -PHYS.—Do you think the saw-mills hurt the fishing? - -HAL.—I do not doubt it. The immense quantity of sawdust which floats in -the water, and which forms almost hills along the banks, must be -poisonous to the fish, by sometimes choking their gills, and interfering -with their respiration. I have never fished for salmon in Germany. The -Elbe and the Weser, when I have seen them, were too foul for fly -fishing; and in the Rhine, in Switzerland, and its tributary streams, I -have never seen a salmon rise. I once hooked a fish, under the fall at -Schaffausen, which in my youthful ardour I thought was a salmon, but it -turned out to be an immense chub—a villanous and provoking substitute. -And our islands, as far as I know, may claim the superiority over all -other lands for this species of amusement. In England it is, however, a -little difficult to get a day’s salmon fishing. The best river I know of -is the Derwent, that flows from the beautiful lake of Keswick; and I -caught once, in October, a very large salmon there, and raised another; -but it is only late in the autumn, that there is any chance of sport, -though I have heard the spring salmon fishing boasted of. At Whitwell, -in the Hodder, I have heard of salmon and sea trout being taken—but I -have never fished in that river. The late Lord Bolinbroke caught many -salmon at Christchurch; but a fish a week is as much as can be expected -in that beautiful, but scantily stocked, river. Small salmon and sea -trout, or sewens, as they are called in the country, may be caught, -after the autumnal floods, I believe, in most of the considerable Welsh, -Devonshire, and Cornish streams; but I have fished in many of them -without success. The Conway I may except: this river, in the end of -October, will sometimes, after a great flood, furnish a good day’s -sport, and, if the net fishers could be set aside, several days’ sport. -I have known two salmon, one above 20lbs., taken here in a day; and I -have taken myself fine sea trout, or _sewens_,—which, in an autumnal -flood in Wales, are found in most of the streams near the sea. - -POIET.—I have heard a Northumberland man boast of the rivers of that -county, as affording good salmon fishing. - -HAL.—I have no doubt that salmon are sometimes caught in the Tyne, the -Coquet, and the Till; but, in the present state of these rivers, this is -a rare occurrence. I was once, for a week, on a good run of the North -Tyne; I fished sometimes, but I never saw a salmon rise; and the only -place in this river, where, from my own knowledge, I can assert salmon -have been caught with the artificial fly, was at Mounsey, very high up -the river. There, in 1820, two grilses were caught, in the end of -August. I have recorded this as a sort of historical occurrence; and I -dare say most of the counties of England, in which there are salmon -rivers, would, upon a minute inquiry, furnish such instances, if they -contained salmon fishers. Yorkshire, Devonshire, and Cornwall, with the -sea on both sides, ought to furnish a greater number. - -PHYS.—Give us some little account of the Scotch and Irish rivers. - -HAL.—I fear I shall tire you by attempting any details on this subject, -for they are so many, that I ought to take a map in my hands; but I will -say a few words on those in which I have had good sport. First, the -Tweed:—of this, as you will understand from what I mentioned before, I -fear I must now say “_fuit_.” Yet still, for spring salmon fishing, it -must be a good river. The last great sport I had in that river was in -1817, in the beginning of April. I caught, in two or three hours, at -Merton, four or five large salmon, and as many in the evening at -Kelso—and one of them weighed 25lbs. But this kind of fishing cannot be -compared to the summer fishing: the fish play with much less energy, and -in general are in bad season; and the fly used for fishing is almost -like a bird—four or five times larger than the summer fly, and the -coarsest tackle may be employed. I have heard, that Lord Home has -sometimes taken thirty fish in a day, in spring fishing. About, and -above Melrose, I have taken, in a morning in July, two or three grilses; -and in September the same number. I have known eighteen taken earlier, -by an excellent salmon fisher, at Merton; and the late Lord Somerville -often took six or seven fish in a day’s angling. The same “_fuit_” I -must apply to most of the Scotch rivers. Of the Tay I have already -spoken. In the Dee I have never caught salmon, though I have fished in -two parts of it, but it was in bad seasons. In the Don I have seen -salmon rise, and hooked one, but never killed a fish. In the Spey I -enjoyed one of the best days’ sport (perhaps the very best) I ever had -in my life: it was in the beginning of September, in close time; the -water was low, and as net fishing had been given over for some days, the -lower pools were full of fish. By a privilege, which I owed to the late -Duke of Gordon, I fished at this forbidden time, and hooked twelve or -thirteen fish in one day. One was above 30lbs., but it broke me by the -derangement of my reel. I landed seven or eight,—one above 20lbs., which -gave me great play in the rapids above the bridge. I returned to this -same spot in 1813, the year after: the river was in excellent order, and -it was the same time of the year, but just after a flood,—I caught -nothing; the fish had all run up the river; the pools, where I had such -sport the year before, were empty. I have fished there since, with a -like result,—but this was before the 12th of August, the close day. In -the Sutherland and Caithness rivers, many salmon, I have no doubt, may -still be caught. The Brora, Sutherland, in 1813 and 1814, was an -admirable river: I have often rode from the mansion of the princely and -hospitable lord and lady of that county, after breakfast, and returned -at two or three o’clock, having taken from three to eight salmon—several -times eight. There were five pools below the wears of the Brora, which -always contained fish; and at the top of one pool, which from its size -was almost inexhaustible, I have taken three or four salmon the same -day. Another pool, nearer the sea, was almost equal to it; and at that -time I should have placed the Brora above the Ewe for certainty of -sport. When I fished there last, in 1817, the case was altered, and I -caught only two or three fish in the very places where I had six years -before been so successful. In the Helmsdale there are some good pools, -and I have caught fine fish there when the river has been high. I have -fished in the river at Thurso, but without success—it was always foul -when I made my attempt. I have heard of a good salmon river in Lord -Reay’s county, the Laxford; its name, of Norwegian origin, would seem to -be characteristic.[6] Along the coast of Scotland, most of the streams, -if taken at the right time, afford sport. In this county the Beauly is a -good river, and I have caught salmon in that very beautiful spot below -the falls of Kilmarnock. The Ness, at Inverness, and the Awe and Lochy, -I have fished in, but without success. I may say the same of the Ayr, -and of the rivers which empty themselves into the Solway Frith. A little -preserved stream, at Ardgowan, was formerly excellent, after a flood in -September, for sea trout, and later for salmon: I have had good sport -there, and some of my friends have had better. - -In Ireland there are some excellent rivers; and, what you will hardly -believe possible, comparing the characters of the two nations, some of -them are taken better care of than the Scotch river; which arises a good -deal from the influence of the Catholic priests, when they are concerned -in the interests of the proprietors, on the Catholic peasantry. I should -place the Erne, at Ballyshannon, as now the first river, for salmon -fishing from the banks with a rod, in the British dominions; and the -excellent proprietor of it, Dr. Shiel, is liberal and courteous to all -gentlemen fly fishers. The Moy, at Ballina, is likewise an admirable -salmon river; and sport, I believe, may almost always be secured there -in every state of the waters; but the best fishing can only be commanded -by the use of a boat. I have taken in the Erne two or three large salmon -in the morning; and in the Moy, three or four grilses, or, as they are -called in Ireland, _grauls_; and this was in a very bad season for -salmon fishing. The Bann, near Coleraine, abounds in salmon: but, in -this river, except in close time, when it is unlawful to fish there, -there are few good casts. In the Bush, a small river about seven miles -to the east of the Bann, there is admirable salmon fishing, always after -great floods; but in fine and dry weather it is of little use to try. I -have hooked twenty fish in a day, after the first August floods, in this -river; and, should sport fail, the celebrated Giant’s Causeway is within -a mile of its mouth, and furnishes to the lovers of natural beauty, or -of geological research, almost inexhaustible sources of interest. The -Blackwater, at Lismore, is a very good salmon river: and the Shannon, -above Limerick and at Castle Connel, whenever the water is tolerably -high, offers many good casts to the fly fisher; but they can only be -commanded by boats. But there is no considerable river along the -northern or western coast,—with the exception of the Avoca, which has -been spoiled by the copper mines,—that does not afford salmon, and if -taken at the proper time, offer sport to the salmon fisher.—But it is -time for us to return to our inn. - - - THE INN. - -POIET.—Should it be a fine day to-morrow, I think we shall have good -sport: the high tide will bring up fish, and the rain and wind of -yesterday will have enlarged the river. - -HAL.—To-morrow we must not fish: it is the Lord’s day, and a day of -rest. It ought likewise to be a day of worship and thanksgiving to the -Great Cause of all the benefits and blessings we enjoy in this life, for -which we can never sufficiently express our gratitude. - -POIET.—I cannot see what harm there can be in pursuing an amusement on a -Sunday, which you yourself have called innocent, and which is apostolic: -nor do I know a more appropriate way of returning thanks to the Almighty -Cause of all being, than in examining and wondering at his works in that -great temple of nature, whose canopy is the sky; and where all the -beings and elements around us are as it were proclaiming the power and -wisdom of Deity. - -HAL.—I cannot see how the exercise of fishing can add to your devotional -feelings; but, independent of this, you employ a servant to carry your -net and gaff, and he, at least, has a right to rest on this one day. But -even if you could perfectly satisfy yourself as to the abstracted -correctness of the practice, the habits of the country in which we now -are, form an insurmountable obstacle to the pursuit of the amusement: by -indulging in it, you would excite the indignation of the Highland -peasants, and might perhaps expiate the offence by a compulsory ablution -in the river. - -POIET.—I give up the point: I make it a rule never to shock the -prejudices of any person, even when they appear to me ridiculous; and I -shall still less do so in a case where your authority is against me; and -I have no taste for undergoing persecution, when the cause is a better -one. I now remember, that I have often heard of the extreme severity -with which the sabbath discipline is kept in Scotland. Can you give us -the reason of this? - -HAL.—I am not sufficiently read in the Church History of Scotland to -give the cause historically; but I think it can hardly be doubted, that -it is connected with the intense feelings of the early Covenanters, and -their hatred with respect to all the forms and institutes of the church -of Rome, the ritual of which makes the Sunday more a day of innocent -recreation than severe discipline. - -PHYS.—Yet the disciples of Calvin, at Geneva, who, I suppose, must have -hated the pope as much as their brethren of Scotland, do not so rigidly -observe the Sunday; and I remember having been invited by a very -religious and respectable Genevese to a shooting party on that day. - -HAL.—I think climate and the imitative nature of man modify this cause -abroad. Geneva is a little state, in a brighter climate than Scotland, -almost surrounded by Catholics, and the habits of the French and -Savoyards must influence the people. The Scotch, with more severity and -simplicity of manners, have no such examples of bad neighbours, for the -people of the north of England keep the Sunday much in the same way. - -POIET.—Nay, Halieus, call them not bad neighbours; recollect my creed, -and respect at least, what, if error, was the error of the western -Christian world for 1000 years. The rigid observance of the seventh day -appears to me rather a part of the Mosaic, than of the Christian -dispensation. The Protestants of this country consider the Catholics -bigots, because they enjoin to themselves and perform certain penances -for their sins; and surely the Catholics may see a little still more -resembling that spirit, in the interference of the Scotch in innocent -amusements, on a day celebrated as a festive day, that on which our -Saviour rose to immortal life, and secured the everlasting hopes of the -Christian. I see no reason why this day should not be celebrated with -singing, dancing, and triumphal processions, and all innocent signs of -gladness and joy. I see no reason why it should be given up to severe -and solitary prayers, or to solemn and dull walks; or why, as in -Scotland, whistling even should be considered as a crime on Sunday, and -humming a tune, however sacred, out of doors, as a reason for violent -anger and persecution. - -ORN.—I agree with Poietes, in his views of the subject. I have suffered -from the peculiar habits of the Scotch church, and therefore may -complain. Once in the north of Ireland, when a very young man, I -ventured after the time of divine service to put together my rods, as I -had been used to do in the Catholic districts of Ireland, and fish for -sea trout in the river at Rathmelton, in pure innocence of heart, -unconscious of wrong, when I found a crowd collect round me—at first I -thought from mere curiosity, but I soon discovered I was mistaken; anger -was their motive, and vengeance their object. A man soon came up, -exceedingly drunk, and began to abuse me by various indecent terms: such -as a Sabbath breaking papist, &c. It was in vain I assured him I was no -papist, and no intentional Sabbath breaker; he seized my rod and carried -it off with imprecations; and it was only with great difficulty, and in -exciting by my eloquence the pity of some women who were present, and -who thought I was an ill-used stranger, that I recovered my property. -Another time I was walking on Arthur’s Seat, with some of the most -distinguished professors of Edinburgh attached to the geological -opinions of the late Dr. Hutton; a discussion took place upon the -phenomena presented by the rocks under our feet, and, to exemplify a -principle, Professor Playfair broke some stones, in which I assisted the -venerable and amiable philosopher. We had hardly examined the fragments, -when a man from a crowd, who had been assisting at a field preaching, -came up to us and warned us off, saying, “Ye think ye are only stane -breakers; but I ken ye are Sabbath breakers, and ye deserve to be staned -with your ain stanes!” - -HAL.—Zeal of every kind is sometimes troublesome, yet I generally -suspect the persons, who are _very_ tolerant, of scepticism. Those who -firmly believe, that a particular plan of conduct is essential to the -eternal welfare of man, may be pardoned if they show even _anger_, when -this conduct is not pursued. The severe observance of the Sabbath is -connected with the vital creed of these rigid presbyterians; it is not -therefore extraordinary, that they should enforce it even with a -perseverance that goes beyond the bounds of good manners and courtesy. -They may quote the example of our Saviour, who expelled the traders from -the temple even by violence. - -PHYS.—I envy no quality of the mind or intellect in others; be it -genius, power, wit, or fancy: but if I could choose what would be most -delightful, and I believe most useful to me, I should prefer a firm -religious belief to every other blessing; for it makes life a discipline -of goodness; creates new hopes, when all earthly hopes vanish; and -throws over the decay, the destruction of existence, the most gorgeous -of all lights; awakens life even in death, and from corruption and decay -calls up beauty and divinity; makes an instrument of torture and of -shame the ladder of ascent to paradise: and, far above all combinations -of earthly hopes, calls up the most delightful visions of palms and -amaranths, the gardens of the blest, the security of everlasting joys, -where the sensualist and the sceptic view only gloom, decay, -annihilation, and despair! - -POIET.—You transiently referred, Halieus, yesterday, to that instinct of -salmons which induces them to run up rivers from the sea on the approach -of rain. You have had so many opportunities of attending to the -instincts of the inferior animals, that I should be very glad to hear -your opinion on that very curious subject, the nature and developement -of instincts in general. - -HAL.—You must remember, that, in the conversation to which you allude, I -avoided even to pretend to define the nature of instinct; but I shall -willingly discuss the subject; and I expect from yourself, Ornither and -Physicus, more light thrown upon it than I can hope to bestow. - -ORN.—I believe we have each a peculiar view on this matter. In -discussion we may enlighten and correct each other. For myself, I -consider instincts merely as results of organization, a part of the -machinery of organized forms. Man is so constituted, that his muscles -acquire their power by habit; their motions are at first automatic, and -become voluntary by associations, so that a child must learn to walk as -he learns to swim or write; but in the colt or chicken, the limbs are -formed with the powers of motion; and these animals walk as soon as they -have quitted the womb or the egg. - -PHYS.—I believe it possible, that they may have acquired these powers of -motion in the embryo state; and I think I have observed, that birds -learn to fly, and acquire the use of their wings, by continued efforts, -in the same manner as a child does that of his limbs. - -ORN.—I cannot agree with you: the legs of the fœtus are folded up in the -womb of the mare; and neither the colt nor the chicken can ever have -performed, in the embryo state, any motions of their legs similar to -those which they have perfectly at their command when born. Young birds -cannot fly as soon as they are hatched, because they have no wing -feathers; but as soon as these are developed, and even before they are -perfectly strong, they use their wings, fly, and quit their nests -without any education from their parents. Compare a young quail, when a -few days old, with a child of as many months: he flies, runs, seeks his -food, avoids danger, and obeys the call of his mother; whilst a child is -perfectly helpless, and can perform few voluntary motions: has barely -learnt to grasp, and can neither stand nor walk. But to see the most -perfect instance of instinct, as contrasted with acquired knowledge, -look at common domestic poultry, as soon as they are excluded from the -egg: they run round their mother, nestle in her feathers, and obey her -call, without education: she leads them to some spot where there is soft -earth or dung, and instantly begins scratching with her feet; the -chickens watch her motions with the utmost attention; if an earthworm or -larva is turned up, they instantly seize and devour it, but they avoid -eating sticks, grass, or straws; and though the hen shows them the -example of picking up grain, they do not imitate her in this respect, -but for some days prefer ants, or the larvæ of ants, to a barley corn. -They may have heard the cluck of their mother in the egg, and having -felt the warmth of her feathers agreeable, you may consider, Physicus, -their collecting under her wings, and obeying her call, as an acquired -habit. But I will mention another circumstance where habit or education -is entirely out of the question. Does the mother see the shadow of a -kite on the ground, or hear his scream in the air, she instantly utters -a shrill suppressed cry; the chickens, though born that day, and -searching round her with glee and animation for the food which her feet -were providing for them, instantly appear as if thunder struck; those -close to her crouch down and hide themselves in the straw; those further -off, without moving from the place, remain prostrate; the hen looks -upward with a watchful eye; nor do they resume their feeding till they -have been called again by the cluck of their mother, and warned that the -danger is over. - -PHYS.—I certainly cannot explain the acquaintance of the little animals -with the note of alarm of the mother, except upon the principle you have -adopted; and I fairly own, that their selection of animal food appears -likewise instinctive: yet it is possible, that this selection may depend -upon some analogy between the smell of these animal matters and the -yolk, which was for a long time their food in the egg. - -ORN.—I find I must multiply examples. Examine young ducks which have -been hatched under a hen; they no sooner quit the shell, than they fly -to their natural element, the water, in spite of the great anxiety and -terror of their foster-parent, who in vain repeats that sound to which -her natural children are so obedient. Being in the water, they seize -insects of every kind, which they can only know from their instincts to -be good for food; and when they are hatched in the May-fly season, they -pursue these large ephemeræ with the greatest avidity, and make them -their favourite food. It is impossible, I think, to explain these facts, -except by supposing, that they depend upon feelings or desires in the -animals developed with their organs, which are not acquired, and which -are absolutely instinctive. I will mention another instance. A friend of -mine was travelling in the interior of Ceylon; on the banks of a lake he -saw some fragments of shells of the eggs of the alligator, and heard a -subterraneous sound: his curiosity was excited, and he was induced to -search beneath the surface of the sand: besides two or three young -animals lately come from the shell, he found several eggs which were -still entire: he broke the shell of one of them, when a young alligator -came forth, apparently perfect in all its functions and motions; and -when my friend touched it with a stick, it assumed a threatning aspect, -and bit the stick with violence. It made towards the water, which -(though born by the influence of the sunbeams on the burning sand) it -seemed to know was its natural and hereditary domain. Here is an animal -which, deserted by its parents, and entirely submitted to the mercy of -nature and the elements, must die if it had to acquire its knowledge; -but all its powers are given, all its wants supplied; and even its means -of offence and defence implanted by strong and perfect instincts. I will -mention one fact more. Swallows, quails, and many other birds, migrate -in large flocks when their usual food becomes scarce; and in these cases -it may be said (I anticipate a remark of Physicus), that the phenomenon -depends upon imitation, and that the young birds follow the old ones who -have before made the same flight. But I will select the young cuckoo for -an unexceptionable example of the instinctive nature of this quality. He -is produced from an egg deposited by his mother in the nest of another -bird, generally the hedge sparrow. He destroys all the other young ones -hatched in the same nest, and is supplied with food by his -foster-parent, after he has deprived her of all her natural offspring. -Quite solitary, he is no sooner able to fly than he quits the country of -his birth, and finds his way, with no other guide than his instinct, to -a land where his parents had gone many weeks before him; and he is not -pressed to make this migration by want of food, for the insects and -grains on which he feeds are still abundant. The whole history of the -origin, education, and migration of this singular animal, is a history -of a succession of instincts, the more remarkable, because in many -respects contrary to the usual order of nature. - -PHYS.—I have been accustomed to refer many of the supposed instincts of -animals, such as migrations, building nests, and selection of food, to -imitation; but, I confess, I cannot explain the last fact you have -brought forward on this principle. Pray, Ornither, let me state your -view, as I understand it, that we may not differ as to the meaning of -language. I conclude you adopt Hartley’s view of association, that the -motions of the muscles in man are first automatic, and become voluntary -by association; and that reason is the application of voluntary motions -for a particular end. For instance: a child is not afraid of fire, but, -bringing its hand near the fire, it is burnt, and the convulsions of the -muscles produced by the pain ends in removing the hand from the source -of pain. These motions by association are made voluntary; and after this -experiment he avoids the fire by _reason_, and takes care always to -perform those motions which remove his limbs from this destructive -agent. But in contrasting instinct with this slow process, you would -say, most animals, without having felt the effects of fire, have an -innate dread of it; and in the same way, without having been taught, or -experienced pleasure or pain from the object, young ducks seek the -water, young chickens avoid it: their organs have a fitness or unfitness -for certain functions, and they use them for these functions without -education. In short, the instinctive application of the organ is -independent of experience, and forms part of a train of pure sensations. - -ORN.—I have no objection to the statement you make of my view of the -subject; but I certainly should give to it a little more refinement and -generality. In all the results of reason, ideas are concerned but never -in those of instinct. Without memory there can be no reason; but in -instinct nothing can be traced but pure sensation. - -POIET.—Though in the animal world no ideas seem connected with -instincts, yet they are all intended for specific and intelligent ends. -Thus the swallow travels to a country where flies are found; the salmon -migrates from the sea to the sources of fresh rivers, where its eggs may -receive a supply of aerated water, and without this migration the race -would be extinct: and in this way all the instincts of animals may be -referred to intelligence, which, though not belonging to the animal, -must be attributed to the Divine Mind. Is it not then reasonable to -refer instinct to the immediate impulse of the Author of Nature upon his -creatures? His omnipresence and omnipotence cannot be doubted, and to -the infinite mind the past, the present, and the future are alike; and -creative and conservative power must equally belong to it. - -HAL.—That instincts depend upon impulses immediately derived from the -Deity is an opinion which, though it perhaps cannot be confuted, yet -does not please me so much as to believe them dependent upon the -formation of organs, and the result of the general laws which govern the -system of the universe; and it is in favour of this opinion that they -are susceptible of modifications. Thus, in domesticated animals they are -always changed; the turkey and the duck lose their habits of -constructing nests, and the goose does not migrate. In supposing them -the result of organization and hereditary, they might be expected to be -changed by circumstances, as they are actually found to be. Without -referring the instincts of animals to the immediate impulse of the -Deity, they appear to me to offer the most irresistible and convincing -argument that can be brought forward against atheism. They demonstrate -combinations, the result of the most refined intelligence, which can -only be considered as infinite. Take any one of the lowest class of -animals, insects for instance, not only is their organization fitted to -all their wants; but their association in society is provided for, and -the laws of a perfect social community, as it were, are adopted by -beings, that we are sure cannot reason. In the hive bee, for instance, -the instinct of the workers leads them to adopt and obey a queen; and if -she is taken away from them, or dies, they have the power of raising -another from offspring in the cells by an almost miraculous process: -they work under her government for a common object, allow males only to -exist for the purpose of impregnating females, who preserve the society, -and under whose government they send forth swarms, which readily place -themselves under the protection of man. In the geometrical construction -of their cells, the secretion of wax from their bodies, the collecting -their food, and the care of the brood, there is a series of results -which it requires a strong reason to follow, and which are the -consequences of invariable instincts. Bees, since they have been noticed -by naturalists, have the same habits, and, as it is probable that there -have been many thousand of generations since the creation, it is -evident, that the instincts of the first bees have been hereditary and -invariable in their offspring; and it cannot be doubted, that they do -now, as they did four thousand years ago, make some cells in combs -larger than others for the purpose of containing the eggs and future -grubs of drones, that are to be produced by a grub, which they are -educating for a queen bee; and that these cells are connected with the -common cells by a series, in which the most exact geometrical laws of -transition are observed. An eminent philosopher has deduced an argument -in favour of the existence of Deity from the analogy of the universe to -a piece of mechanism, which could only be the work of an intelligent -mind; but there is this difference: in all the productions of nature, -the principle, not only of perfection, but likewise of conservation, is -found, marking a species of intelligence and power which can be compared -to nothing human. The first created swarm of bees contained beings -provided with all the instincts necessary for the perpetual continuance -of the species; and some of these instincts can scarcely be understood -by man, requiring the most profound geometrical knowledge, even to -calculate their results; and _other instincts_ involve what in human -society would be the most singular state of policy, combining contrasted -moral causes and contradictory interests. It is impossible not to be -lost in awe at the contemplation of this chain of facts; the human mind -cannot fail to acknowledge in them the strongest proofs of their being -produced by infinite wisdom and unbounded power; and the devout -philosopher can scarcely avoid considering with respect a little insect, -endowed with faculties producing combinations, which human reason vainly -attempts to imitate, and can scarcely understand. - -PHYS.—I agree with you, that if instinct be supposed the result of -organization, and that the first animal types were so created as to -transmit their instincts invariably, generation after generation, it -does offer a most triumphant and incontrovertible argument for the -existence of an all-powerful intelligent Cause.—Even in the instance -which led to this conversation, the instinct which carries salmon from -the sea to the sources of rivers, it is only lately philosophers have -discovered, that the impregnated eggs cannot produce young fishes -independent of the influence of air; and thus an animal goes many -hundred miles under the direction of an instinct, the use of which human -reason has at length developed, and man is supplied with an abundant -food by the result of a combination, in consequence of which a species -is preserved. - -POIET.—I do not understand, Halieus, your objections to the view I have -adopted, which is sanctioned by the authority of a good ethic -philosopher, Addison. Allowing the omnipresence and constant power of -Deity, I do not see how you can avoid admitting his actual interference -in all the phenomena of living nature. - -HAL.—As I said before, I cannot _confute_ your view; but, upon this -principle, gravitation and the motion of the planets round the sun, and -all the other physical phenomena of the universe, would be owing to the -immediate action of the Divinity. I prefer the view, which refers them -to motion and properties, the results of general laws impressed on -matter by Omnipotence. This view is, I think, simpler; but it is -difficult to form any distinct opinion on so high and incomprehensible a -subject, on which, perhaps, after all, it is wiser to confess our entire -ignorance, and to bow down in humble adoration to the one -incomprehensible Cause of all being. - -POIET.—I agree with you in your last sentence, but I still adhere to my -own view, and I hope you will not object to a favourite opinion of mine, -that instincts are to animals what revelation is to man, intended to -supply wants in their physical constitution, which in man are provided -for by reason; and that revelation is to him as an instinct, teaching -him what reason cannot—his religious duties, the undying nature of his -intellectual part, and the relations of his conduct to eternal happiness -and misery. - -HAL.—“Davus sum, non Œdipus.” I will not attempt to discuss this view of -yours, Poietes; but I think I may say, that all the instincts of animals -seem to be connected with pleasure; and in man the feeling of love and -the gratifying the appetites, which approach nearest to instincts, are -likewise highly delightful, and perhaps there is no more pleasurable -state of the human mind than when, with intense belief, it looks forward -to another world and to a better state of existence, or is absorbed in -the adoration of the supreme and eternal intelligence. - - - - - SIXTH DAY. - - HALIEUS—POIETES—ORNITHER—PHYSICUS. - - - MORNING. - -HAL.—WELL met, my friends! It is a fine warm morning, there is a fresh -breeze, the river is in excellent order for fishing, and I trust our -good behaviour yesterday will ensure us sport to-day. There must be a -great many fresh run fish in the pool; and after twenty-four hours’ -rest, some of those that were indisposed to take on Saturday evening, -may have acquired appetite. Prepare your tackle, and begin: but whilst -you are preparing, I will mention a circumstance which every -accomplished fly fisher ought to know. You changed your flies on -Saturday with the change of weather, putting the dark flies on for the -bright gleams of the sun, and the gaudy flies when the dark clouds -appeared: now, I will tell you of another principle, which it is as -necessary to know as the change of flies for change of weather; I allude -to the different kinds of fly to be used in particular pools, and even -for particular parts of pools. You have fished in this deep pool; and if -you were to change it for a shallower one, such as that above, it would -be proper to use smaller flies of the same colour; and in a pool still -deeper, larger flies; likewise in the rough rapid at the top, a larger -fly may be used than below at the tail of the water: and in the Tweed or -Tay, I have often changed my fly thrice in the same pool, and sometimes -with success—using three different flies for the top, middle, and -bottom. I remember, that when I first saw Lord Somerville adopt this -fashion, I thought there was fancy in it; but experience soon proved to -me how accomplished a salmon fisher was my excellent and lamented -friend, and I adopted the lesson he taught me, and with good results, in -all bright waters. - -POIET.—I will try the correctness of your principle. Look at the fly now -on my line; where would you recommend me to cast it? - -HAL.—It is a large gaudy fly, and is fit for no part of this pool, -except the extremely rough head of the torrent: there I dare say it will -take in _this_ state of the waters. - -POIET.—Good, I hooked a large fish, but alas! he is off: Yet I thought -he was fairly caught. - -HAL.—The hook, I think, turned round at the moment you struck, and -carried off some scales from the outside of his mouth. - -POIET.—You are right: see, the scales are on the hook. I cannot raise -another fish: I have tried almost all over the pool. I thought I saw a -fish rise at the tail of the rapid. - -HAL.—You did: he refused the fly. Now put on a fly one third of the size -and of the same colour, and I think you will hook that fish. - -POIET.—I have done so—and he is fast; and a fine fish; I think a salmon. - -HAL.—It is a salmon, and one above 10lbs. Play him with care, and do not -let him run into the rough part of the stream, where the large stones -are. - -POIET.—It is, I think, the most active fish I have yet played with. See -how high he leaps! He is making for the sea. - -HAL.—Hold him tight, or you will lose him. - -POIET.—Fear me not. I trust, in spite of his strength, I shall turn him. -You see, I show him the but of the rod, and his force is counterpoised -by a very long lever. - -HAL.—You do well. But he has made a violent spring, and, I fear, is off. - -POIET.—He is!—but not, I think, by any fault of mine: he has carried off -something. - -HAL.—You played that fish so well, that I am angry at his loss: either -the hook, link, or line, failed you. - -POIET.—It is the hook, which you see is broken, and not merely at the -barb, but likewise in the shank. What a fool I was ever to use one of -these London or Birmingham made hooks. - -HAL.—The thing has happened to me often. I now never use any hooks for -salmon fishing, except those which I am sure have been made by -O’Shaughnessy, of Limerick; for even those made in Dublin, though they -seldom break, yet they now and then bend; and the English hooks, made of -cast steel in imitation of Irish ones, are the worst of all. _There_ is -a fly nearly of the same colour as that which is destroyed; and I can -tell you, that I saw it made at Limerick by O’Shaughnessy himself, and -tied on one of his own hooks. Should you catch with it a fish even of -30lbs. I will answer for its strength and temper: it will neither break -nor bend. - -POIET.—Whilst I am attaching your present, so kindly made, to my line, -pray tell me how these hooks are made, for I know you interested -yourself in this subject when at Limerick. - -HAL.—Most willingly. I have even made a hook, which, though a little -inferior in form, in other respects, I think, I could boast as equal to -the Limerick ones. The first requisite in hook-making is to find good -malleable iron of the softest and purest kind—such as is procured from -the nails of old horse-shoes. This must be converted by cementation with -charcoal into good soft steel, and that into bars or wires of different -thickness for different sized hooks, and then annealed. For the larger -hooks, the bars must be made in such a form as to admit of cutting the -barbs; and each piece, which serves for two hooks, is larger at the -ends, so that the bar appears in the form of a double pointed spear, -three, four, or five inches long: the bars for the finer hooks are -somewhat flattened. The artist works with two files, one finer than the -other for giving the point and polishing the hook, and he begins by -making the barb, taking care not to cut too deep, and filing on a piece -of hard wood, such as box wood, with a dent to receive the bar, made by -the edge of the file. The barb being made, the shank is thinned and -flattened, and the polishing file applied to it; and by a turn of the -wrist round a circular pincers, the necessary degree of curvature is -given to it. The hook is then cut from the bar, heated red hot, by being -kept for a moment in a charcoal fire; then plunged, while hot, into cold -water; then tempered, by being put on iron, that has been heated in the -same fire till it becomes a bright blue, and, whilst still hot, it is -immersed in candle-grease, where it gains a black colour; it is then -finished. - -PHYS.—Nothing seems simpler than this process. Surely London might -furnish manufacturers for so easy a manipulation; and I should think one -of our friends, who is so admirable a cutler, might even improve upon -the Irish process; at least the tempering might be more scientifically -arranged; for instance, by the thermometer, and a bath of fusible metal, -the temperature at which steel becomes blue being 580° Fahrenheit, might -be constantly preserved. - -HAL.—Habit teaches our Irish artists this point with sufficient -precision. We should have such hooks in England, but the object of the -fishing tackle makers is to obtain them cheap, and most of their hooks -are made to sell, and good hooks cannot be sold but at a good price. - -POIET.—I have heard formerly a good angler complain, that the Limerick -hooks were too heavy and clumsy. He preferred hooks made at Kendal in -Cumberland. - -HAL.—I saw, twenty years ago, hooks far too heavy made at Limerick; but -this O’Shaughnessy is, I think, a better maker than his father was, and -the curve and the general form of the hook is improved. It has now, I -think, nearly the best form of a curve for catching and holding, the -point protruding a little. The Kendal hook holds well, but is not so -readily fixed by the pull in the mouth of the fish. The early Fellows of -the Royal Society, who attended to all the useful and common arts, even -improved fish hooks; and Prince Rupert, an active member of that -illustrious body, taught the art of tempering hooks to a person of the -name of Kirby; under whose name, for more than a century, very good -hooks were sold. I shall take a walk towards the lake to enjoy a view of -its cloud-capped mountains, and I hope to find, on my return, that you -have all had your satisfaction in a good day’s salmon fishing. - -PHYS.—We shall crimp and cool a salmon, if we catch a good one, for our -dinner. - -HAL.—Do so. - -ORN.—But before you leave us, I wish you would be good enough to inform -us why the salmon here are so different from those I have seen -elsewhere: for instance, some caught in the Alness, in Rosshire, which -we saw in passing round the south coast of Ross. These appear to me -thicker and brighter fish, and one that I measured was 30 inches long, -and 17 in circumference. - -HAL.—I think I have seen broader fish than even those of this river; but -the salmon which you happen to remember for comparison, belonged to a -small stream, which, I think, in general, are thinner and longer than -those in great rivers; and what I mentioned on a former occasion with -respect to trout holds good likewise with regard to salmon; each river -has a distinct kind. It is scarcely possible to doubt, that the -varieties of the salmon, which haunt the sea, come to the same rivers to -breed in which they were born, or where they have spawned before. And -this could hardly happen unless they confined their migrations to a -certain space in the sea, the boundaries of which may be regarded as the -shore and probably deep water, which may be considered as effectual a -limit almost as land; for fish do not willingly haunt _very_ deep water, -which even in summer is of low temperature, approaching to 40°, and -contains little or no vegetable food or insects, which the smaller -fishes search for, and the larger fishes follow the smaller. It is -however possible, that in winter, all fish fond of heat will seek water -rather deeper than in summer; and char and umbla in lakes are usually -found in the deepest parts, being fond of _cool_ water, and they come to -spawn whenever the shallow water of the lakes becomes cool, in October -or November. We cannot judge of the senses of animals that breathe -water,—that separate air from water by their gills; but it seems -probable, that, as the quality of the water is connected with their life -and health, they must be exquisitely sensible to changes in water, and -must have similar relations to it, that an animal with the most delicate -nasal organs has to air. A vulture or a dog scents not only particular -food and particular game at great distances, but even makes of the smell -a kind of language; and I doubt not, that when dogs, that have been -blindfolded and carried away from their home, return to it, it is by the -sense of smelling: to them each town, lane, or field, must have a -particular scent. And I have seen even a blind horse, an animal in which -the sense of smelling is less acute, evidently find his way by it to his -master’s house and stable, which was, indeed, near a tan-yard. The state -of parts of water, in the sea or great lakes, produced by the -impregnations carried down by particular streams, is much more permanent -than a _like state_ in air: so that though the knowledge given by the -nasal organs may be more easily communicated at a distance by winds, yet -_that_ produced by streams on the bronchiæ of fishes is more invariable, -and a migratory fish is less likely to be deceived. Yet in great floods, -often connected with storms, or violent motion in the waters near the -shore, salmon sometimes mistake their river. I remember in this way, -owing to a tremendous flood, catching with the fly a large salmon, that -had mistaken his river, having come into the Bush, near the Giant’s -Causeway, instead of the Bann. No fish can be more distinct in the same -species than the fish of these two rivers, their length to their girth -being nearly in a ratio of 20:9 and 20:13.—I am going; good sport to -you. - - - EVENING. - -HAL.—I am sure I may congratulate you on your sport, for I see on the -bank a fine salmon, three grauls or grilses, and three large sea trout. - -ORN.—You have not seen all, for we have crimped two fish—one a large -salmon, and the other a trout almost a yard long, and both in excellent -season. We have had great sport, and sport even of a kind which you will -not guess at; for, when the tide was falling, the fish ceased to rise at -the fly, and I thought of trying them with a bait; so we sent for our -swivel tackle, and put par or samlet on our hooks, as we bait for -pike—cutting off one ventral fin on one side, and one pectoral fin on -the other; and making the par spin in the most rapid streams, we had -several runs from fish, and it was in this way that Poietes caught this -large sea trout, which gave excellent sport. - -HAL.—This kind of fishing is not uncommon. I have often caught salmon in -the Tay, fishing with pars; but though the fish ran at the bait, when -they would not rise at the fly while the tide was ebbing, they would -have taken the par better still while it was flowing. - -PHYS.—From my experience to-day, I conclude the salmon has habits -different from the trout; for I think the fish which broke my hook rose -again at the artificial fly in the same place. - -HAL.—I think you are mistaken. Salmon are usually shyer even than trout, -and I never knew one in this season, that had been pricked even -slightly, rise again at the artificial fly in the same pool. I should -say, that their habits were precisely the same, but with more sagacity -on the side of the salmon. It must have been another fish that rose at -your fly in the same place. After such severe discipline, I do not think -a fish would rise for many hours, even at a natural bait. - -POIET.—Your experience is so great, that I dare say I was mistaken, yet -it seemed a fish of the same size. - -HAL.—Salmon often in this season haunt the streams in pairs; but so far -from rising again after being pricked, they appear to me to learn, when -they have been some time in the river, that the artificial fly is not -food, even without having been touched by the hook. In the river at -Galway, in Ireland, I have seen above the bridge some hundreds of salmon -lying in rapid streams, and from five to ten fishermen tempting them -with every variety of fly, but in vain. After a fish had been thrown -over a few times, and risen once or twice and refused the fly, he rarely -ever took any notice of it again in that place. It was generally nearest -the tide that fish were taken, and the place next the sea was the most -successful stand, and the most coveted; and when the water is low and -clear in this river, the Galway fishermen resort to the practice of -fishing with a naked hook, endeavouring to entangle it in the bodies of -the fish; a most unartistlike practice. In spring fishing, I have known -a hungry, half-starved salmon rise at the artificial fly a second time, -after having been very slightly touched by it; but even this rarely -happens, and when I have seen it, the water has been coloured. - -PHYS.—Can you tell us why the fish rise better at the fly when the tide -is flowing, than when it is ebbing? There seems no reason why flies -should be sought for by the fish at one of these seasons, rather than at -the other. - -HAL.—The turn of the salt water brings up aquatic insects, and perhaps -small fish; and I suppose salmon know this, and search for food at a -time when it is likely to be found. I cannot think, that in these pools -they can be on the look-out for flies, for there are never any on the -surface of the water; and I imagine they take the gaudy fly, with its -blue kingfisher and golden pheasant’s feathers, for a small fish. - -ORN.—I have always supposed that they took it for a libella, or -dragon-fly; for I have often seen these brilliant flies haunting the -water. - -HAL.—I never saw a dragon-fly drop on the water, or taken by a fish; and -salmon sometimes rise even in the salt water, where dragon-flies are -never found. There is no difficulty in explaining why salmon in inland -rivers should take flies, where natural flies are abundant; but fish, -when they have lain long in pools in the river and fed on natural flies, -will no longer take these bright flies, and then even a trout-fly is -often most successful. I have sometimes thought that the rising of -salmon and sea trout at these bright flies, as soon as they come from -the sea into rivers, might depend upon a sort of imperfect memory of -their early food and habits; for flies form a great part of the food of -the salmon fry, which, for a month or two after they are hatched, feed -like young trouts—and in March and April the spring flies are their -principal nourishment. In going back to fresh water, they may perhaps -have their habits of feeding recalled to them, and naturally search for -their food at the surface. - -POIET.—This appears to me very probable.—But it is late, and we must -return and compare the crimped trout and salmon; and I hope we shall -have another good day to-morrow, for the clouds are red in the west. - -PHYS.—I have no doubt of it, for the red has a tint of purple. - -HAL.—Do you know why this tint portends fine weather? - -PHYS.—The air, when dry, I believe, refracts more red, or heat-making, -rays; and as dry air is not perfectly transparent, they are again -reflected in the horizon. I have generally observed a coppery or yellow -sunset to foretel rain; but, as an indication of wet weather -approaching, nothing is more certain than a halo round the moon, which -is produced by the precipitated water; and the larger the circle, the -nearer the clouds, and consequently the more ready to fall. - -HAL.—I have often observed, that the old proverb is correct— - - A rainbow in the morning is the shepherd’s warning: - A rainbow at night is the shepherd’s delight. - -Can you explain this omen? - -PHYS.—A rainbow can only occur when the clouds containing, or -depositing, the rain are opposite to the sun,—and in the evening the -rainbow is in the east, and in the morning in the west; and as our heavy -rains, in this climate, are usually brought by the westerly wind, a -rainbow in the west indicates, that the bad weather is on the road, by -the wind, to us; whereas the rainbow in the east proves, that the rain -in these clouds is passing from us. - -POIET.—I have often observed, that when the swallows fly high, fine -weather is to be expected or continued; but when they fly low, and close -to the ground, rain is almost surely approaching. Can you account for -this? - -HAL.—Swallows follow the flies and gnats, and flies and gnats usually -delight in warm strata of air; and as warm air is lighter, and usually -moister, than cold air, when the warm strata of air are high, there is -less chance of moisture being thrown down from them by the mixture with -cold air; but when the warm and moist air is close to the surface, it is -almost certain, that, as the cold air flows down into it, a deposition -of water will take place. - -POIET.—I have often seen sea-gulls assemble on the land, and have almost -always observed, that very stormy and rainy weather was approaching. I -conclude, that these animals, sensible of a current of air approaching -from the ocean, retire to the land to shelter themselves from the storm. - -ORN.—No such thing. The storm is their element; and the little petrel -enjoys the heaviest gale, because, living on the smaller sea insects, he -is sure to find his food in the spray of a heavy wave—and you may see -him flitting above the edge of the highest surge. I believe, that the -reason of this migration of seagulls, and other sea birds, to the land, -is their security of finding food. They may be observed, at this time, -feeding greedily on the earth worms and larvæ, driven out of the ground -by severe floods; and the fish, on which they prey in fine weather in -the sea, leave the surface, when storms prevail and go deeper. The -search after food, as we agreed on a former occasion, is the principal -cause why animals change their places. The different tribes of the -wading birds always migrate when rain is about to take place; and I -remember once, in Italy, having been long waiting, in the end of March, -for the arrival of the double snipe in the Campagna of Rome,—a great -flight appeared on the 3d of April, and the day after heavy rain set in, -which greatly interfered with my sport. The vulture, upon the same -principle, follows armies; and I have no doubt, that the augury of the -ancients was a good deal founded upon the observation of the instincts -of birds. There are many superstitions of the vulgar owing to the same -source. For anglers, in spring, it is always unlucky to see single -magpies,—but _two_ may be always regarded as a favourable omen; and the -reason is, that in cold and stormy weather one magpie alone leaves the -nest in search of food, the other remaining sitting upon the eggs or the -young ones; but when two go out together, the weather is warm and mild, -and thus favourable for fishing. - -POIET.—The singular connexions of causes and effects, to which you have -just referred, make superstition less to be wondered at, particularly -amongst the vulgar; and when two facts, naturally unconnected, have been -accidentally coincident, it is not singular that this coincidence should -have been observed and registered, and that omens of the most absurd -kind should be trusted in. In the west of England, half a century ago, a -particular hollow noise on the sea coast was referred to a spirit or -goblin, called Bucca, and was supposed to foretel a shipwreck: the -philosopher knows, that sound travels much faster than currents in the -air—and the sound always foretold the approach of a very heavy storm, -which seldom takes place on that wild and rocky coast, surrounded as it -is by the Atlantic, without a shipwreck on some part of its extensive -shores. - -PHYS.—All the instances of omens you have mentioned are founded on -reason; but how can you explain such absurdities as Friday being an -unlucky day, the terror of spilling salt, or meeting an old woman? I -knew a man, of very high dignity, who was exceedingly moved by these -omens, and who never went out shooting without a bittern’s claw fastened -to his buttonhole by a ribband—which he thought ensured him good luck. - -POIET.—These, as well as the omens of death watches, dreams, &c., are -for the most part founded upon some accidental coincidences; but -spilling of salt, on an uncommon occasion, may, as I have known it, -arise from a disposition to apoplexy, shown by an incipient numbness in -the hand, and may be a fatal symptom; and persons, dispirited by bad -omens, sometimes prepare the way for evil fortune; for confidence in -success is a great means of ensuring it. The dream of Brutus, before the -field of Philippi, probably produced a species of irresolution and -despondency, which was the principal cause of his losing the battle: and -I have heard, that the illustrious sportsman, to whom you referred just -now, was always observed to shoot ill, because he shot carelessly, after -one of his dispiriting omens. - -HAL.—I have in life met with a few things, which I found it impossible -to explain, either by chance coincidences or by natural connexions; and -I have known minds of a very superior class affected by them,—persons in -the habit of reasoning deeply and profoundly. - -PHYS.—In my opinion, profound minds are the most likely to think lightly -of the resources of human reason: it is the pert, superficial thinker -who is generally strongest in every kind of unbelief. The deep -philosopher sees chains of causes and effects so wonderfully and -strangely linked together, that he is usually the last person to decide -upon the impossibility of any two series of events being independent of -each other; and in science, so many natural miracles, as it were, have -been brought to light,—such as the fall of stones from meteors in the -atmosphere, the disarming a thunder cloud by a metallic point, the -production of fire from ice by a metal white as silver, and referring -certain laws of motion of the sea to the moon,—that the physical -inquirer is seldom disposed to assert, confidently, on any abstruse -subjects belonging to the order of natural things, and still less so on -those relating to the more mysterious relations of moral events and -intellectual natures. - - - - - SEVENTH DAY. - - HALIEUS—POIETES—ORNITHER—PHYSICUS. - - GRAYLING FISHING. - - - _Scene—Leintwardine, near Ludlow._ - _Time—Beginning of October._ - -HAL.—YOU have reached your quarters. Here is your home—a rural, -peaceable, and unassuming inn, with as worthy a host and hostess as may -be found in this part of the country. The river glides at the bottom of -the garden, and there is no stream in England more productive of -grayling. The surrounding scenery is not devoid of interest, and the -grounds in the distance are covered with stately woods, and laid out (or -rather their natural beauties developed) by the hand of a master, whose -liberal and enlightened mind even condescended to regard the amusements -of the angler; and he could hardly have contributed in a more effectual -manner to their comforts, than by placing the good people, who were once -his servants, in this comfortable inn. - -PHYS.—Are we to fish according to any rule, as to quantity or size of -fish? - -HAL.—You are at perfect liberty to fish as you like; but as it is -possible you may catch grayling only of this year, and which are not -longer than the hand, I conclude you will return such pigmies to the -river, as a matter of propriety, though not of necessity. - -POIET.—This river seems formed of two other streams, which join above -our inn. What are the names of its sources? - -HAL.—The small river to the left is called the Teme, or Little Teme, and -though the least stream, it gives name to the river: the other, and more -copious stream, is called the Clun. The Little Teme contains principally -trout; the Clun, both trout and grayling: but the fish are more abundant -in the meadows, between this place and Downton, than in other parts of -the river; for above, the stream is too rapid and shallow to be -favourable to their increase; and below, it is joined by other streams, -and becomes too abundant in coarse fish. - -POIET.—I cannot understand why the grayling should be so scarce a fish -in England. It is abundant in many districts on the continent; but in -this island it is found, I believe, only in a few rivers, and does not -exist, I think, either in Ireland or Scotland. Yet, being an Alpine -fish, and naturally fond of cool water, it might have been expected -among the Highlands. - -HAL.—I formerly used to account for this, by supposing it an _imported_ -fish, and not indigenous; but, in some of my continental excursions, I -have seen it living only under such peculiar circumstances, that I doubt -the correctness of this my early opinion. - -POIET.—Which was, I conclude, that it was introduced by the monks, in -the time when England was under the See of Rome. As a favourite fish of -St. Ambrose it was worth cultivating, as well as for its own sake; and I -think you have done wrong to relinquish this idea, for, as far as my -recollection serves me, the rivers that contain it are near the ruins of -great monasteries. The Avon, near Salisbury; the Ure, near Fountain’s -Abbey; the Wye, near the great Abbey of Tintern; and, if I am not -mistaken, in the lower part of this valley there are the remains of an -extensive establishment of friars. - -HAL.—But there are rivers near the ruins of some of the most magnificent -establishments of this kind in Europe, and those nearest the continent, -where the grayling is not found; for instance, in the Stour, at -Canterbury. And if the grayling _be_ an imported fish, it is wonderful, -that it should not be found in the rivers in Kent, and along the -south-west coast of England, as in Dorsetshire, Devonshire, and -Cornwall, where the monastic establishments were numerous; and why it -should be found in some rivers in the mountainous parts of Wales, as in -that near Llan-wrted and the Dee; not near Val Crusis Abbey, but fifteen -miles higher up, between Corwen and Bala. - -POIET.—It may have been a fish imported from the continent, and carried -to a number of rivers, only a few of which may have suited its habits, -and has remained there and multiplied. - -HAL.—There may be truth in what you are now imagining, for the grayling -requires a number of circumstances in a river to enable it to increase. - -POIET.—What circumstances are these? - -HAL.—A temperature in the water which must be moderate—neither too high -nor too low. Grayling are never found in streams that run from -glaciers—at least near their source; and they are killed by cold or -heat. I once put some grayling from the Teme, in September, with some -trout, into a confined water, rising from a spring in the yard at -Downton; the grayling all died, but the trout lived. And in the hot -summer of 1825, great numbers of large grayling died in the Avon, below -Ringwood, without doubt killed by the heat in July. - -POIET.—But I have heard of grayling being common in Lapland—at least so -says Linnæus. - -HAL.—I think it must be another species of the same genus; the same as -Back’s grayling found by Captain Franklin and his companions in North -America, and distinguished by a much larger back fin. Having travelled -with the fishing-rod in my hand through most of the Alpine valleys in -the south and east of Europe, and some of those in Norway and Sweden, I -have always found the char in the coldest and highest waters; the trout, -in the brooks rising in the highest and coldest mountains; and the -grayling always lower, where the temperature was milder: and if in hot -countries, only at the foot of mountains, not far from sources which had -the mean temperature of the atmosphere,—as in the Vipacco, near -Goritzia, and in the streams which gush forth from the limestone caverns -of the Nordic Alps. Besides temperature, grayling require a peculiar -character in the disposition of the water of rivers. They do not dwell, -like trout, in rapid shallow torrents; nor, like char or chub, in deep -pools or lakes. They require a combination of stream and pool; they like -a deep still pool for rest, and a rapid stream above, and a gradually -declining shallow below, and a bottom where marl or loam is mixed with -gravel; and they are not found abundant except in rivers that have these -characters. It is impossible to have a more perfect specimen of a -grayling river than that now running before us, in this part of its -course. You see a succession of deep still pools under shady banks of -marl, with gentle rapids above, and a long shelving tail, where the fish -sport and feed. Should there be no such pools in a river, grayling would -remain, provided the water was clear, and would breed; but they cannot -stem rapid streams, and they are gradually carried down lower and lower, -and at last disappear. You know the Test, one of the finest trout -streams in Hampshire, and of course in England; when I first knew this -stream, twenty years ago, there were no grayling in it. A gentleman -brought some from the Avon, and introduced them into the river at -Longstock, above Stockbridge. They were for two or three years very -abundant in that part of the river; but they gradually descended, and -though they multiplied greatly, there are now scarcely any above -Stockbridge. There were, four years ago, many in the river just below; -but this year there are very few there, and the great proportion that -remains is found below Houghton. I ought to mention, that the water is -particularly fitted for them, and they become larger in this river than -in their native place, the Avon,—some of them weighing between 3 and -4lbs. The trout, in all its habits of migration, runs upward, seeking -the fresh and cool waters of mountain sources to spawn in: the grayling, -I believe, has never the same habit of running up stream; I never saw -one leaping at a fall, where trout are so often seen. Their large back -fin seems intended to enable them to rise and sink rapidly in deep -pools; and the slender nature of the body, towards the tail, renders -them much more unfit for leaping cataracts than trout and salmon. The -temperature of the water, and its character as to still and stream, seem -of more importance than clearness; for I have seen grayling taken in -streams, that are almost constantly turbid,—as in the Inn and the Salza -in the Tyrol. This fish appears to require food of a particular kind, -feeding much upon flies and their larvæ, and not usually preying upon -small fish, as the trout. It has a very strong stomach, in texture like -that of the gillaroo trout, and is exceedingly fond of those larvæ which -inhabit cases, and are usually covered with sand or gravel. I once -caught a grayling in the Wochain Save, that weighed about a pound and a -half, the stomach of which equalled in size a very large walnut, and -contained some small shells, and two or three white round pebbles as -large as small beans. In accordance with their general habits of -feeding, grasshoppers are amongst their usual food in the end of summer -and autumn; and at all seasons, maggots, upon fine tackle and a small -hook, offer a secure mode of taking them,—the pool having been -previously baited for the purpose of angling, by throwing in a handful -or two a few minutes before. - -POIET.—You just now said, that you thought the Lapland fish, considered -by Linnæus as grayling, was the same as Back’s grayling; but I find, in -the Appendix to Captain Franklin’s narration, two graylings described as -belonging to the northern regions,—one the Coregonus Signifer, and -another, which appears to differ very little from it, except being small -in size. This seems to agree as nearly as possible with our grayling, -with a difference of at most one spine in the back fin. May not this in -fact be the same fish as the grayling of the Alps, only rendered in a -succession of generations fit for a colder climate? - -HAL.—This is certainly possible: there is no doubt, that, in many -successive generations, animals may be fitted to bear changes, which -would have destroyed their progenitors. It is said by Bloch, that -graylings are found in the Caspian Sea, and in the Baltic,—masses of -saline water; though, as I have proved, the grayling of England will not -bear even a brackish water, without dying. And notwithstanding the -severity of the winter in high northern latitudes, streams under the ice -may retain a temperature not much lower than some of the Alpine rivers. -I have seen grayling in Carniola, in a source at the hottest season not -quite 50°; and as, in large bodies of water, the deepest part, in frost, -is generally the warmest—about 40°, the degree at which water is -heaviest—I see no reason why grayling may not be habituated to such a -temperature—coolness being generally favourable to their existence. But -see, the fog which had filled the valley and hid the mountains from our -sight is clearing away, and I fear it will be a hot day. Before the sun -becomes too bright is the best time for fishing, in such a day as this. -As soon as the fog is fairly off, the water-flies will begin to appear, -and fish to sport. - -PHYS.—I see the fog has already disappeared from the deep water in the -meadow, where I suppose the warmth of the air from the considerable mass -of the water, is greater; and which is further removed from the hills -sending down currents of cold air, from the mixture of which with the -moist warm air above the river this phenomenon is produced. I see some -yellow flies beginning to come out; they have already felt the influence -of the warm air: and look! a fish has just risen opposite that bank, and -he rises again: let us prepare our tackle. - -POIET.—What flies shall we employ? - -HAL.—I recommend at least three; for the grayling lies deeper and is not -so shy a fish as the trout; and, provided your link is fine, is not apt -to be scared by the cast of flies on the water. The fineness of the -link, and of the guts to which your flies are attached, is a most -essential point, and the clearer the stream the finer should be the -tackle. I have known good fishermen foiled by using a gut of ordinary -thickness, though their fly was of the right size and colour. Very -slender transparent gut of the colour of the water is one of the most -important causes of success in grayling fishing. Let me see your book: I -will select a fine stretcher. Now, for the lowest fly, use a -yellow-bodied fly, with red hackle for legs, and landrail’s wing: for -the second, a blue dun, with dun body; and for the highest, the claret -coloured body, with blue wings; and let your first dropper fly be about -three feet from the stretcher and from the other dropper, and let the -hanging link which attaches them be 3½ inches long. - -PHYS.—There are several fish rising: I shall throw at that opposite—he -appears large. - -HAL.—It is a trout and not a grayling. - -PHYS.—How do you know? - -HAL.—By his mode of rising. He is lying at the top of the water, taking -the flies as they sail down by him, which a grayling scarcely ever does. -_He_ rises rapidly from the bottom or middle of the water, on the -contrary—darting upwards, and, having seized his fly, returns to his -station. There! a grayling has risen. I do not mean, however, that this -habit is invariable; I have sometimes seen trout feed like grayling, and -grayling like trout, but neither of these fish emits bubbles of air in -rising, as dace and chub do. - -PHYS.—I have one! He has taken my blue dun, and must be a small one, for -he plays with no vigour. - -HAL.—He is about ¾lb.—a fish of two years and a half old—very good for -the table. I will land him if possible. - -PHYS.—There! He is off! - -HAL.—This happens often with grayling: their mouths are tender, and -unless the hook catches in the upper lip, which is rather thick, it is -more than an equal chance that the fish escapes you. - -PHYS.—Here, I have another, that has taken the stretcher, and as it is a -larger hook, I hope he may be held. He is likewise a larger fish—but how -oddly he spins! This, I suppose, must be owing to his large back fin, by -which the stream carries him round. There he is: he has quite twisted my -link; it would not be amiss to have swivels for this kind of fishing. - -HAL.—It is a fish in good season,—dark above, fair below, and weighs, I -should suppose, about 1¼lb. - -PHYS.—As this is the first grayling I have seen of my own taking, I must -measure, weigh, and examine him. - -HAL.—We can do this hereafter. See, our fish barrel; he can be kept -alive till a more convenient time of the day. - -PHYS.—I am disposed to gratify my curiosity immediately: for to acquire -information is at least as interesting to me as catching fish. I shall -kill him by a blow on the head. He is not, I suppose, worth crimping -afterwards? - -HAL.—Certainly not, at this time; and it is not necessary with a fish of -this size, which ought to be fried; but if we catch a large grayling, -approaching to 2lbs., he shall be killed, crimped, and boiled, like our -Denham trout; you will then find him excellent, and not inferior, in my -opinion, to the best perch—more like the most exquisitely tasted of all -our fish, the red mullet. - -PHYS.—Out of the water, this is a handsome fish, broader round the -middle, and more hog-backed than the trout, but gracefully tapering -towards the tail. The belly, I see, is silvery with yellow; and the -pectoral, ventral, and anal fins are almost gold-coloured; the back gray -with small black spots, and the back fin of a beautiful bright purple, -with black and blue spots. It has likewise an agreeable odour; so that -both from its colour and smell it does not seem undeserving the title -given it by St. Ambrose, of _the flower of fishes_. It measures, I find, -14 inches in length; in girth 7½. It weighs 17 ounces. It has 10 spines -in the pectoral fin, 23 in the dorsal, 16 in the ventral, 14 in the -anal, and 18 in the caudal. - -HAL.—Now for its anatomy. Its stomach is very thick, not unlike that of -a char or gillaroo trout, and contains flies, gravel, and larvæ, with -their cases. The liver and bowels do not differ much from those of a -trout; and the ovaria or roe, with eggs as large as mustard seed, are on -each side the air bladder. Though a thicker fish, the grayling does not -weigh much more than the trout in proportion to his length: the greater -breadth of back is compensated by the more rapid tapering of tail, and a -trout in very high season will sometimes equal in weight a grayling of -the same length. The ova in this fish, and in the species generally, are -very small at this time of the year; but in the beginning of April, the -season of their spawning, they become nearly as large as the ova of the -trout—of the size of pepper-corns. But I see, Poietes, your rod is in -order, and there are many fish rising in this deep pool, some of which -are large grayling. The blue dun is on in quantity, and we have both -cloud and wind, which half an hour ago we had no right to expect. Let me -advise you to use three flies of different shades of the dun: the -stretcher, a pale blue with yellow body; the first dropper, a winged fly -with dun body; and the third, a similar fly with dark body. There, you -see; he rose and refused your stretcher—and again he has a second time -refused it. I think the colour of the dubbing is too bright: try a -winged fly for the stretcher with a greenish body. Good—he has taken it, -and ought to be a large fish. Now we have him: he is at least sixteen -inches long, and in good season. Ornither, I advise you to use the same -kind of fly, and to put up your tackle precisely in the same way as -Poietes has done. - -POIET.—How well they rise! At that moment I had two on my line: one of -them is gone, but I hope I shall land the other. - -HAL.—Fish with activity while the cloud lasts. I fear the sun is coming -out, when it will be more difficult to take fish. I shall try the next -pool, and I advise you to follow me and fish by turns,—passing each -other, and taking different pools below, and so wend your way downwards, -fishing wherever you see fish sporting. There is no better part of the -river than that pool below you, and you cannot take a wrong direction. -Immediately beyond Burrington Bridge you will find two excellent pools, -and I advise you to go no farther down to-day. If you take a fish -approaching 2lbs., keep him alive in the fish barrel for crimping; the -smaller fish you can kill, and carry with some rushes in your basket; we -shall at least be able to send a dish of grayling to the patron of our -sport at Downton. - - - NOON. - -HAL.—Well, gentlemen, I hope you have been successful. - -POIET.—We have had good sport; but I have been for some time reposing on -this bank, and admiring the scene below. How fine are these woods! How -beautiful these banks! the hills in the distance approach to the -character of mountains; and the precipitous cliff, which forms the -summit of that distant elevation, looks like a diluvian monument, and as -if it had been bared and torn by a deluge, which it had stemmed. - -HAL.—It is one of the Clee hills, and its termination is basaltic, and -such rocks usually assume such forms. But though this spot is beautiful, -to-morrow, I hope to show you a more exquisite landscape,—cliffs and -woods, and gushing waters, of a character still more romantic. We will -return to our inn by a shorter road; but tell me, have you caught a -large fish amongst you, and preserved him for crimping? - -POIET.—We have preserved two fishes in the barrel, but I fear they are -much below your proposed size. - -HAL.—They are good fish, and of the average size of the large grayling -in this stream—16 inches long, and about 1½lb.; they will make a good -variety boiled and placed in the middle of the fried fish. And how many -have you caught altogether? - -POIET.—I have basketed (to coin a word) three trout and six grayling. - -PHYS.—And I have taken seven grayling. I caught trout likewise, but, not -considering them in proper season, I returned them to the river: but -Ornither has been the most successful—he has killed ten grayling. - -HAL.—The trout is rarely good in this river—at least I never saw one -that cut red, and yet I have taken them in July, when their external -appearance was perfect and beautiful; but they have, to my taste, always -a flabby and soft character of flesh, and at all seasons here are -inferior for the table to grayling; yet they often attain a considerable -size. There are few small fish in these streams, and I suppose the -grayling, which are most numerous, deprive the trout of their proper -share of the food, depending upon larvæ and flies. - -PHYS.—As we are walking through these meadows, pray give us some -information as to the habits of the grayling, and its localities in -England: I have been so much pleased with my sport, that I shall become, -with St. Ambrose, a patron of the fish. - -HAL.—The habits of the grayling, like those of most other fish, are very -simple. He is, I believe, to a certain extent, gregarious—more so than -the trout, and less so than the perch, and the usual varieties of the -carp species known in England. His form and appearance you have seen. He -is as yet scarcely in his highest or most perfect season, which is in -the end of November or beginning of December, when his back is very -dark, almost black, and his belly and lower fins are nearly -gold-coloured; but his brightness, like that of most other fishes, -depends a good deal upon the nature of the water: and on the continent I -have seen fishes far more brilliantly coloured than in England—the lower -part almost a bright orange, and the back fin approaching to the colour -of the damask rose, or rather of an anemone. The grayling spawns in -April, and sometimes as late as the beginning of May: the female is -generally then followed by two or three males. She deposits her ova in -the tales of sharp streams, and the males, rubbing against her, shed -upon the ova the melt or semi-fluid. I do not know how long a time is -required for the exclusion of the young ones; but in the end of July, or -beginning of August, they are of the size of sprats, four or five inches -long, and already sport merrily at a fly. Though I have often taken -grayling in bad season, yet I have rarely observed upon them the same -kind of leech,[7] or louse, which is so often found upon the trout; from -which I infer, that they seldom hide themselves, or become torpid in the -mud. The grayling hatched in May or June, I conclude, become the same -year, in September or October, nine or ten inches long, and weigh from -_five ounces_ to _half a pound_; and the year after they are from twelve -to fifteen inches long, and weigh from three-quarters to a pound; and -these two sizes, as you have seen, are the fish that most usually rise -at the fly. The first size in this river is called _shote_, which is a -Celtic word, I believe, applied likewise in the west of England to small -trout. Of their growth after the second year I cannot speak; this must -depend much on their food and place of residence. Marsigli says, they do -not grow after the third year, and at this age, in Austria, they are -sometimes a cubit long; but though I have fished much in that country, I -never saw any so long. If they are taken into new and comparatively -still water recently made, and where food is plenty, they grow very -fast: under these circumstances, I have seen them above 3lbs. In the -Test, where, as I mentioned before, the grayling has been only recently -introduced, they have sometimes been caught between 3 and 4lbs.—in this -river I never took one above 2lbs. but I have heard of one being taken -of 2½lbs. The grayling is a rare fish in England, and has never been -found in Scotland and Ireland (as Poietes observed before;) and there -are few rivers containing all the conditions necessary for their -increase. I know of no grayling river farther west than the Avon, in -Hampshire: they are found in some of the tributary streams of this river -which rise in Wiltshire. I know of no river containing them on the north -coast west of the Severn: there are very few only in the upper part of -this river, and in the streams which form it in North Wales. There are a -few in the Wye and its tributary streams. In the Lug, which flows -through the next valley, in Herefordshire, many grayling are found. In -the Dee, as I have said before, they are found, but are not common. In -Derbyshire and Staffordshire, the Dove, the Wye, the Trent, and the -Blithe, afford grayling; in Yorkshire, on the north coast, some of the -tributary streams of the Ribble,—and in the south, the Ure, the Wharfe, -the Humber, the Derwent, and the streams that form it, particularly the -Rye. There may be some other localities of this fish unknown to me; but -as I have fished much, and enquired much respecting the places where it -is found, I think my information tolerably correct and complete. - -PHYS.—Is this fish to be fished for in spring? - -HAL.—He is to be fished for at all times, for he is rarely so much out -of season as to be a bad fish; and when there are flies on the water, he -will generally take them: but as the trout may be considered as a spring -and summer fish, so the grayling may be considered as a winter and -autumnal fish. - -PHYS.—Of course the grayling is taken in spring with the same imitation -of flies as the trout? - -HAL.—The same. As far as flies are concerned, these two species feed -alike; though I may say, generally, that the grayling prefers smaller -flies, and the varieties of the ephemeræ or phryganeæ, of the smallest -size, form their favourite food. Yet grayling do not refuse large flies; -and in the Avon and Test, May flies, and even moths, are greedily taken -in the summer by large grayling. Flies, likewise, that do not inhabit -the water, but are blown from the land, are good baits for grayling. -There is no method more killing, for large grayling, than applying a -grasshopper to the point of a leaded hook, the lead and shank of which -are covered with green and yellow silk, to imitate the body of the -animal. This mode of fishing is called sinking and drawing. I have seen -it practised in this river with as much success as maggot fishing; and -the fish taken were all of the largest size; the method being most -successful in deep holes, where the bottom was not visible, which are -the natural haunts of such fish. In the winter, grayling rise for an -hour or two, in bright and tolerably warm weather; and, at this time, -the smallest imitations of black or pale gnats that can be made, on the -smallest sized hook, succeed best in taking them. In March, the -dark-bodied willow fly may be regarded as the earliest fly; the -imitation of which is made by a dark claret dubbing and a dun hackle, or -four small starling’s wing feathers. The blue dun comes on in the middle -of the day in this month, and is imitated by dun hackles for wings and -legs, and an olive dubbing for body. In milder weather, in morning and -evening in this month, and through April, the green tail, or grannom, -comes on in great quantities, and is well imitated by a hen pheasant’s -wing feather, a gray or red hackle for legs, and a dark peacock’s harle, -or dark hare’s ear fur, for the body. The same kind of fly, of a larger -size, with paler wings, kills well in the evening, through May or June. -The imitation of a water insect called the spider fly, with a -lead-coloured body and woodcock’s wings, is said to be a killing bait, -on this and other rivers, in the end of April and beginning of May; but -I never happened to see it on the water. The dark alder fly, in May and -June, is taken greedily by the fish: it is imitated by a dark-shaded -pheasant’s wing, black hackle for legs, and a peacock’s harle, ribbed -with red silk, for the body. At this season, and in July, imitations of -the black and red palmer worms, which I believe are taken for black or -brown, or red beetles or cockchaffers, kill well; and, in dark weather, -there are usually very light duns on the water. In August, imitations of -the house fly and blue bottle, and the red and black ant fly, are taken, -and are particularly killing after floods in autumn, when great -quantities of the fly are destroyed and washed down the river. In this -month, in cloudy days, pale-blue duns often appear; and they are still -more common in September. Throughout the summer and autumn, in fine calm -evenings, a large dun fly, with a pale yellow body, is greedily taken by -grayling after sunset; and the imitation of it is very killing. In the -end of October, and through November, there is no fly fishing but in the -middle of the day, when imitations of the smaller duns may be used with -great success; and I have often seen the fish sport most, and fly -fishing pursued with the greatest success, in bright sunshine, from -twelve till half-past two o’clock, after severe frosts in the morning; -and I once caught, under these circumstances, a very fine dish of fish -on the 7th of November. It was in the year 1816; the summer and autumn -had been peculiarly cold and wet, and, probably in consequence of this, -the flies were in smaller quantity at their usual season, and there was -a greater proportion later in the year. - -Grayling, if you take your station by the side of a river, will rise -nearer to you than trout, for they lie deeper, and therefore are not so -much scared by an object on the bank; but they are more delicate in the -choice of their flies than trout, and will much oftener rise and refuse -the fly. Trout, from lying nearer the surface, are generally taken -before grayling, where the water is slightly coloured, or after a flood: -and in rain, trout usually rise better than grayling, though it -sometimes happens, when great quantities of flies come out in rain, -grayling, as well as trout, are taken with more certainty than at any -other time;—the artificial fly, in such cases, looks like a wet fly, and -allures even the grayling, which generally is more difficult to deceive -than trout in the same river. - -PHYS.—As I was looking into a ditch coming down the river, which is -connected with it, I saw a very large eel at the bottom, that appeared -to me to be feeding on a small grayling:—are there many of this fish in -the Teme, and do they breed here? - -HAL.—There are many of this fish in the river; but to your question, do -they breed here? I must answer in the negative. The problem of their -generation is the most abstruse, and one of the most curious, in natural -history; and though it occupied the attention of Aristotle, and has been -taken up by most distinguished naturalists since his time, it is still -unsolved. - -PHYS.—I thought there was no doubt on the subject. Lacepede, whose book -is the only scientific one on fishes I have read with attention, -asserts, in the most unqualified way, that they are viviparous. - -HAL.—I remember his assertion, but I looked in vain for proofs. - -PHYS.—I do not remember any _facts_ brought forward on the subject; but -tell us what you think upon it. - -HAL.—I will tell you all I know, which is not much. This is certain, -that there are two migrations of eels,—one up and one down rivers, one -_from_ and the other _to_ the sea; the first in spring and summer, the -second in autumn or early winter. The first, of very small eels, which -are sometimes not more than two or two and a half inches long; the -second, of large eels, which sometimes are three or four feet long, and -weigh from 10 to 15, or even 20lbs. There is great reason to believe, -that all eels found in fresh water are the results of the first -migration: they appear in millions in April and May, and sometimes -continue to rise as late even as July and the beginning of August. I -remember this was the case in Ireland, in 1823. It had been a cold -backward summer, and when I was at Ballyshannon, about the end of July, -the mouth of the river, which had been in flood all this month, under -the fall, was blackened by millions of little eels, about as long as the -finger, which were constantly urging their way up the moist rocks by the -side of the fall. Thousands died, but their bodies remaining moist, -served as the ladder for others to make their way; and I saw some -ascending even perpendicular stones, making their road through wet moss, -or adhering to some eels, that had died in the attempt. Such is the -energy of these little animals, that they continue to find their way, in -immense numbers, to Loch Erne. The same thing happens at the fall of the -Bann, and Loch Neagh is thus peopled by them: even the mighty Fall of -Shaffhausen does not prevent them from making their way to the Lake of -Constance, where I have seen many very large eels. - -PHYS.—You have shown, that some eels come from the sea, but I do not -think the facts prove, that all eels are derived from that source. - -HAL.—Pardon me—I have not concluded. There are eels in the Lake of -Neufchatel, which communicates by a stream with the Rhine; but there are -none in the Leman Lake, because the Rhone makes a subterraneous fall -below Geneva; and though small eels can pass by moss or mount rocks, -they cannot penetrate limestone, or move against a rapid descending -current of water, passing, as it were, through a pipe. Again: no eels -mount the Danube from the Black Sea; and there are none found in the -great extent of lakes, swamps, and rivers communicating with the -Danube,—though some of these lakes and morasses are wonderfully fitted -for them, and though they are found abundantly in the same countries, in -lakes and rivers connected with the ocean and the Mediterranean. Yet, -when brought into confined water in the Danube, they fatten and thrive -there. As to the instinct, which leads young eels to seek fresh water, -it is difficult to reason;—probably they prefer warmth, and, swimming at -the surface in the early summer, find the lighter water warmer, and -likewise containing more insects, and so pursue the courses of fresh -water, as the waters from the land, at this season, become warmer than -those of the sea. Mr. J. Couch (Lin. Trans. T. xiv. p. 70) says, that -the little eels, according to his observation, are produced within reach -of the tide, and climb round falls to reach fresh water from the sea. I -have sometimes seen them, in spring, swimming in immense shoals in the -Atlantic, in Mount Bay, making their way to the mouths of small brooks -and rivers. When the cold water from the autumnal floods begins to swell -the rivers, this fish tries to return to the sea; but numbers of the -smaller ones hide themselves during the winter in the mud, and many of -them form, as it were, masses together. Various authors have recorded -the migration of eels in a singular way,—such as Dr. Plot, who, in his -History of Staffordshire, says, that they pass in the night, across -meadows, from one pond to another: and Mr. Arderon (in Trans. Royal -Soc.) gives a distinct account of small eels rising up the flood-gates -and posts of the water-works of the city of Norwich; and they made their -way to the water above, though the boards were smooth planed, and five -or six feet perpendicular. He says, when they first rose out of the -water upon the dry board, they rested a little—which seemed to be till -their slime was thrown out, and sufficiently glutinous—and then they -rose up the perpendicular ascent with the same facility as if they had -been moving on a plane surface.—(Trans. Abr. vol. ix. p. 311.) There -can, I think, be no doubt, that they are assisted by their small scales, -which, placed like those of serpents, must facilitate their progressive -motion: these scales have been microscopically observed by -Lewenhoeck.—(Phil. Trans. vol. iv.) Eels migrate from the salt water of -different sizes, but I believe never when they are above a foot long—and -the great mass of them are only from two and a half to four inches. They -feed, grow, and fatten in fresh water. In small rivers they are seldom -very large; but in large deep lakes they become as thick as a man’s arm, -or even leg; and all those of a considerable size attempt to return to -the sea in October or November, probably when they experience the cold -of the first autumnal rains. Those that are not of the largest size, as -I said before, pass the winter in the deepest parts of the mud of rivers -and lakes, and do not seem to eat much, and remain, I believe, almost -torpid. Their increase is not certainly known in any given time, but -must depend upon the quantity of their food: but it is probable they do -not become of the largest size, from the smallest, in one or even two -seasons; but this, as well as many other particulars, can only be -ascertained by new observations and experiments. Blotch states, that -they grow slowly, and mentions, that some had been kept in the same pond -for fifteen years. As very large eels, after having migrated, never -return to the river again, they must (for it cannot be supposed that -they all die immediately in the sea) remain in salt water; and there is -great probability, that they are then confounded with the conger, which -is found of different colours and sizes—from the smallest to the -largest—from a few ounces to one hundred pounds in weight. The colour of -the conger is generally paler than that of the eel; but, in the -Atlantic, it is said, that pale congers are found on one side of the -Wolf Rock, and dark ones on the other. The conger has breathing tubes, -which are said not to be found in the other eel; but to determine this -would require a more minute examination than has yet been made. Both the -conger and common eel have fringes along the air bladder, which are -probably the ovaria; and Sir E. Home thinks them hermaphrodite, and that -the seminal vessels are close to the kidneys. I hope this great -comparative anatomist will be able to confirm his views by new -dissections, and some chemical researches upon the nature of the fringes -and the supposed melt. If viviparous, and the fringes contain the ova, -one mother must produce tens of thousands, the ova being remarkably -small; but it appears more probable, that they are oviparous, and that -they deposit their ova in parts of the sea near deep basins, which -remain warm in winter. This might be ascertained by experiment, -particularly on the coasts of the Mediterranean. I cannot find, that -they haunt the Arctic ocean, which is probably of too low a temperature -to suit their feelings or habits; and the Caspian and the Black Sea are -probably without them, from their not being found in the Volga or -Danube; these, being shallow seas, are perhaps too cold for them in -winter. From the time (April) that small eels begin to migrate, it is -probable that they are generated in winter; and the pregnant eels ought -to be looked for in November, December, and January. I opened one in -December, in which the fringes were abundant, but I did not examine them -under the microscope, or chemically. I trust this curious problem will -not remain much longer unsolved. - - - - - EIGHTH DAY. - - HALIEUS—POIETES—ORNITHER—PHYSICUS. - - - SCENE—DOWNTON. - -POIET.—THIS is a beautiful day, and, I think, for fishing, as well as -for the enjoyment of the scenery, finer than yesterday. The wind blows -from the south, and is balmy; and though a few clouds are collecting, -they are not sufficiently dense to exclude the warmth of the sun; and, -as lovers of the angle, we ought prefer his warmth to his light. - -HAL.—I do not think, as the day advances, there will be any deficiency -of light; and I shall not be sorry for this, as it will enable you to -see the grounds of Downton, and the distances in the landscape, to more -advantage: nor will light interfere much with our sport in this valley, -where, as you see, there is no want of shade. - -POIET.—This spot is really very fine. The fall of water, the picturesque -mill, the abrupt cliff, and the bank, covered with noble oaks, above the -river, compose a scene such as I have rarely beheld in this island. - -HAL.—We will wander a little longer through the walks. There you will -enter a subterraneous passage in the rock beyond the mossy grotto. -Behold, the castle, or mansion-house, clothed in beautiful vegetables, -of which the red creeper is most distinct, rises above on the hill! -After we have finished our walk and our fishing, I will, if you please, -take you to the house, and introduce you to its worthy master, whom to -know is to love, to whom all good anglers should be grateful, and who -has a strong claim to a more extensive gratitude—that of his country and -of society—by his scientific researches on vegetable nature, which are -not merely curious, but useful, and which have already led to great -improvements in our fruits and plants, and generally extended the -popularity of horticulture. - -PHYS.—We shall be much obliged to you for the favour—provided always, -you know it will not be an intrusion. - -HAL.—Trust this to me. And now, as all circumstances are favourable, -begin your fishing. I recommend to you that fine pool below the bridge; -there are always grayling to be caught there—and already I see some -rising. - -PHYS.—With what imitation of flies shall we fish? - -HAL.—As yesterday; a yellow fly for your stretcher, and two duns for the -droppers. There, you have a good fish. And now another—both grayling. - -PHYS.—I shall try the rapid at the top of this long large pool; I see -several fish rising there. - -HAL.—Do so. You will catch fish there—trout, but I fear no grayling. - -PHYS.—Why not? - -HAL.—In that part of the stream the water is too rough for grayling, and -they like to be nearer the deep water. Lower down, in the same pool, -there are large grayling to be caught. - -PHYS.—You are in the right; the fish I have is a large trout—at least he -is not much less than 2lbs. I have landed him; shall I keep him? - -HAL.—As you please: he is as good as he ever was, or ever will be in -this water. - -PHYS.—There are now more yellow flies out than I have seen before this -season. They have appeared suddenly, as if sprung from that large alder. -Though you gave us in a former conversation some account of the flies -used in fishing, yet I hope you have not forgot your promise, to favour -us with some more details on this subject, which, both as connected with -angling, and with a curious part of natural history, is very -interesting. - -HAL.—I wish it was in my power to give you information from my own -experience, but, I am sorry to say, this has been very limited; and -though the English are peculiarly the fly fishing nation, yet our -philosophical anglers have not contributed much to this department of -science, and what has been done is principally by foreigners, amongst -whom Swammerdam, Reaumur, and above all De Geer, are pre-eminent. To -attempt to collect and apply the knowledge accumulated by these -celebrated men, would carry us far beyond the limits of a day’s -conversation; and as a great proportion of the insects that fly, walk, -or crawl, are the food of fishes, a dissertation, or discourse on this -subject, would be almost a general view of natural history. You know -that frogs, crawfish, snails, earthworms, spiders, larvæ of every kind, -millipedes, beetles, squillæ, moths, water flies, and land flies, are -all eaten by trout; and I once heard the late Sir Joseph Banks say, that -he found a large toad stuck in the throat of a trout; but as the skin of -this animal is furnished with an exceedingly acrid secretion, it -probably had been disgorged after being swallowed by a fish exceedingly -hungry. But though I have found most of the insect tribes, and many -small fishes, even of the most ravenous kind, as pike, in the stomachs -of trout, it never happened to me to see a toad there. I might give you -an account of the birth and life of frogs, which, with respect to their -generation, resemble fish, and which, when first excluded from the egg, -may be considered in the tadpole state as fish; and you would not find -their singular metamorphosis without interest. Or I could detail to you -the true histories which naturalists have given of the habits of snails -and earthworms, and of the sexual relations of these apparently -contemptible animals;—but this is too delicate a subject to dwell on. -Even the renewing or change of shell in the crawfish, when it falls in -its soft state an easy prey to fish, is a curious inquiry not only for -the physiologist, but likewise for the chemist. On these points, I must -request you to refer to writers in Natural History: yet I shall perform -my promise, and say a few words on winged insects, which, in their -origin and metamorphosis, offer the most extraordinary known miracles -perhaps of terrestrial natures. You must be acquainted with the origin -of our common house flies? - -PHYS.—We know, that they spring from maggots, and that both the common -and blue bottle fly deposit their ova in putrid animal matter, were the -eggs are hatched and produce maggots, that, after feeding upon the -decomposing animal material, gradually change, gain a hard or horny -coat, seem as if entombed, and wait in a kind of apparent death or -slumber, till they are mature for a new birth, when they burst their -coatings and appear in the character of novel beings—fitted to inhabit -another element. - -HAL.—The history of the birth and metamorphosis of all other winged -insects is very similar, but with peculiarities dependent upon their -organs, wants, and habits. You know the curious details with which we -have been furnished by natural historians of bees and ants, which live -in a kind of society. The ant flies, of which, as I mentioned to you, -imitations are sometimes used by fishermen, were originally maggots, and -became furnished with wings—not, however, passing through the aurelia -state for this last transformation. - -POIET.—I beg your pardon, but, having lately read an account of these -animals in the very interesting book, called “An Introduction to -Entomology,” I think I can correct you in one particular; which is, that -the maggot of the ant _does_ assume the form of a chrysalis or pupa, -before it becomes a winged animal. - -HAL.—It is true, that the _immediate_ transition of the maggot is into a -pupa, _then_ into an ant, which is furnished with a kind of case, from -which the wings emerge for their perfect transformation into the fly or -imago state. The males die soon after the sexual intercourse; the -females, when impregnated, lose their wings, and either voluntarily or -by force enter into society with neuter or working ants, for the purpose -of raising a new generation. - -POIET.—You are perfectly right; and though it would be irrelevant to our -present object, I could almost wish, for the sake of amusing our -friends, that you would detail to us some other parts of the marvellous -history of these wonderful animals, which, if not so well authenticated, -might be supposed a philosophical romance. Such as the neuter or working -ants feeding each other and the offspring; the manner in which they -make, defend, and repair their dwellings, provide their food, watch and -attend to the female, and take care of her eggs; their extraordinary -mode of acquiring and defending the aphides and cocci, which bear to -them the same relation that cattle do to man, which are fed by them with -so much care, and the milk of which forms so important a part of their -food; the predatory excursions of a particular species to carry off -pupa, which they bring up as slaves. - -HAL.—To enter into any of the details of the history of insects in -society, would carry us into an interminable, though interesting -subject, that would soon lose all relation to fly fishing; and I fear -what I have to say, even on the winged insects connected with this -amusement, will occupy too much of your time, for we have not more than -an hour to devote to this object. - -POIET.—Tell us what you please; we are attentive. - -[Illustration: PHRYGANEÆ, - -_With their Imitations._ - -_Frederick Sc._] - -[Illustration: EPHEMERÆ - -_With their Imitations or Hooks_ - -_Frederick Sc._] - -[Illustration: EPHEMERÆ, - -_With their Imitations or Hooks_ - -_Frederick Sc._] - -HAL.—The various individuals of the _gryllus_, or grasshopper tribe, -spring from larvæ, that do not differ much from the perfect insect, -except in possessing no wings. The eggs are deposited in our meadows, -and many species of this animal are gregarious, and their immigrations -in swarms are well known. The butterfly and moths, as you know, lay eggs -which produce caterpillars, and these caterpillars, after feeding upon -vegetable food, spin themselves or frame houses or beds, cocoons, in -which they are transformed into aurelias, and from which they burst -forth as perfect winged insects. The _libellula_, or dragon fly, the -most voracious of the winged insect tribe, deposits her eggs in such a -manner, that the larvæ fall into the water, and, after destroying and -feeding upon almost all the aquatic insects found in this element, and -changing their skins at various times, they emerge in their winged form -the tyrants of the insect generations in the air. The gnats and tipulæ -have a similar existence. The gnat, the female of which only is said by -De Geer to bite man, or suck human blood, in Sweden, lays her egg in a -kind of little boat or cocoon of her own spinning. These eggs are -hatched on the surface of the water, and produce the larvæ, which -undergo another change into peculiar nymphæ, that still retain the power -of swimming and moving, from which the perfect insect is produced during -the summer heat. The flies, which I mentioned to you in a former -conversation, under the name of the grannom, or green tail, (_see fig._ -2,) are of the class _phryganeæ_, which includes all those water flies -that have long antennæ, and wings something like those of moths, but -usually veined and without powder. The yellow flies, which you saw a -short time since sporting on the banks of the river, are of this kind. -The phryganeæ (_see fig._ 1, 2, 3, and 4,) have four wings, which, when -closed, lie flat on their backs, the two upper ones being folded over -the lower ones: the flies called by anglers the willow fly, the alder -fly, (_see fig._ 4,) and the dun cut, are of this kind. The phryganeæ -lay their eggs on the leaves of willows, or other trees, that overhang -the water; they are fastened by a sort of gluten to the surface of the -leaf: when hatched, they produce small hexapode larvæ, which fall into -the water, and by a curious economy of nature collect round themselves, -some, parts of plants, or small sticks; some, gravel; and some, even -shell fish. They spin themselves a sort of case of silk from their -bodies, and by a gluten, that exudes from this case, cement their -materials together. They feed upon aquatic plants, and sometimes upon -insects, protruding only their head and legs from the case. When about -to undergo transmutation, they quit their cases, rise to the surface, -and wait for this process of nature in the air; but some species fix -themselves on plants or stones: they burst the skin of the larvæ, and -appear perfect animals, male and female, fitted for the office of -reproduction. In the early spring, the species which are called green -tails, from the colour of the bags of eggs in the female, appear in the -warm gleams of sunshine that happen in cloudy days, and they then cover -the face of the water, and are greedily seized on by the fish. As the -season advances they appear principally in the morning and evening. In -the heat of summer the phryganeæ are almost nocturnal flies, and seem to -have the habits of moths: at this season, _now_, I should say, the few -flies that appear are generally seen in the day-time. The _ephemeræ_, -another class of flies peculiarly interesting to the fisherman, differ -from the phryganeæ in carrying their wings perpendicularly on their -backs, and in having long filaments or hairs in their tails. The March -brown, (_see fig._ 8,) the various shades of duns, (_see fig._ 5, 6, and -7,) which I described to you on a former occasion; the green (_see fig._ -9 and 10,) and white May fly, the red spinner, (_see fig._ 11,) are all -of the class ephemeræ. These flies are produced from larvæ which inhabit -the water, which can both crawl and swim, and which generally live in -holes they make in the bottom. They change their coats several times -before they become nymphæ. They quit their skin on the surface of the -water, but even after they are flies, they have another transformation -to undergo before they are perfect animals fitted for generation. They -make use of their wings only to fly to some dry bank, or trunk of a -tree, where they gradually disencumber themselves of the whole of the -outward habiliment they brought from the water, including their wings. -They become lighter, more beautiful in colour, and then begin their -sports in the sunshine—appearing like what might be imagined of spirits -freed from the weight of their terrestrial covering. This last -transmutation has been observed and fully described by some celebrated -naturalists, in the case of the May flies, and one or two other species, -and it probably will be found a general circumstance attached to the -class: I have often observed what appeared to me to be the cast-off -skins of the small species of ephemeræ on the banks of rivers and -floating in the water. The green ephemera, or May fly, lays her eggs -sitting on the water, which instantly sink to the bottom: and most of -the duns, or small slender-winged flies, do the same. The gray or -glossy-winged May fly, commonly called the gray drake, performs regular -motions in the air above the water, rising and falling, and sitting, as -it were, for a moment on the surface, and rising again, at which time -she is said to deposit her eggs. To attempt to describe all the variety -of ephemeræ, that sport on the surface of the water at different times -of the day, throughout the year, would be quite an endless labour. Some -of them appear to live only a few hours, and none of them, I believe, -have their existence protracted to more than a few days. In spring and -autumn a new variety of these flies sometimes appears every day, or even -in different parts of the same day. Of the beetle, or colyoptera genus, -there are many varieties fed on by fishes. These insects, which are -distinguished, as you know, by four wings, two husky-like shells above, -and two slender and finer ones below, are bred from eggs, which they -deposit in the ground, or in the excrement of animals, and which, -producing larvæ in the usual way, are converted into beetles, and these -larvæ themselves are good bait for fish. The brown beetle, or -cockchaffer, the fern fly, and the gray beetle, which are abundant in -the meadows in the summer, are often blown into the water, and are the -most common insects of this kind eaten by fishes. Whether the ditisci -and hydrophili, the water beetles, are ever eaten by trout, I know not, -but it is most probable. These singular animals are most commonly found -in stagnant waters; fitted for flying, swimming, diving, and walking, -they are omnivorous, and usually fly from pool to pool in the evening. -They deposit their eggs in the water, where their larvæ live, but which, -to undergo transmutation into the beetle, migrate to the land. But there -is hardly any insect that flies, including the wasp, the hornet, the -bee, and the butterfly, that does not become at some time the prey of -fishes. I have not, however, the knowledge, or if I had, have not the -time, to go through the lists of these interesting little animals; but -of the family of one of them I must speak—the ichneumons, that deposit -their eggs in caterpillars, or the larvæ of other flies, and which feed -on the unfortunate animal in which they are hatched, and come out of its -interior when dead, as if it had been their parent. To enter into the -philosophy of this subject, and to study the organs and faculties of -these various insect tribes, in their functions of respiration, -nutrition, and reproduction, would be sufficient for the labour of a -life. To know what has already been done would demand the close and -studious application of a comprehensive mind; and to complete this -branch of science in all its parts is probably almost above human -powers: but much might be done if enlightened persons would follow the -example of De Geer, Reaumur, and Huber, and study minutely the habits of -particular tribes; and it is probable, that physiology might be much -advanced by minutely investigating the simplest forms of living beings; -and that particularly with respect to the functions of generation a -minute study of the modifications of which the forms of animals seems -susceptible, particularly in the hymenopterous, or bee tribe, might lead -to very important results. - -POIET.—Even in a moral point of view, I think the analogies derived from -the transformation of insects admit of some beautiful applications, that -have not been neglected by pious entomologists. The three states—of the -caterpillar, pupa, or aurelia, and butterfly—have, since the time of the -Greek poets, been applied to typify the human being—its terrestrial -form, apparent death, and ultimate celestial destination; and it seems -more extraordinary that a sordid and crawling worm should become a -beautiful and active fly—that an inhabitant of the dark and fœtid -dunghill should in an instant entirely change its form, rise into the -blue air, and enjoy the sunbeams,—than that a being, whose pursuits here -have been after an undying name, and whose purest happiness has been -derived from the acquisition of intellectual power and finite knowledge, -should rise hereafter into a state of being, where immortality is no -longer a name, and ascend to the source of Unbounded Power and Infinite -Wisdom. - -PHYS.—I have been listening, Halieus, to your account of water-flies -with attention, and I only regret, that your details were not more -copious; let me now call your attention to that Michaelmas daisy. A few -minutes ago, before the sun sunk behind the hill, its flowers were -covered with varieties of bees, and some wasps, all busy in feeding on -its sweets. I never saw a more animated scene of insect enjoyment. The -bees were most of them humble bees, but many of them some new varieties -to me, and the wasps appeared different from any I have seen before. - -HAL.—I believe this is one of the last autumnal flowers that insects of -this kind haunt. In sunny days it is their constant point of resort, and -it would afford a good opportunity to the entomologist to make a -collection of British bees. - -POIET.—I neither hear the hum of the bee, nor can I see any on its -flowers. They are now deserted. - -PHYS.—Since the sun has disappeared, the cool of the evening has, I -suppose, driven the little winged plunderers to their homes; but see, -there are two or three humble bees which seem languid with the cold, and -yet they have their tongues still in the fountain of honey. I believe -one of them is actually dead, yet his mouth is still attached to the -flower. He has fallen asleep, and probably died whilst making his last -meal of ambrosia. - -ORN.—What an enviable destiny, quitting life in the moment of enjoyment, -following an instinct, the gratification of which has been always -pleasurable! so beneficent are all the laws of Divine Wisdom. - -PHYS.—Like Ornither, I consider the destiny of this insect as desirable, -and I cannot help regarding the end of human life as most happy, when -terminated under the impulse of some strong energetic feeling, similar -in its nature to an instinct. I should not wish to die like Attila in a -moment of gross sensual enjoyment: but the death of Epaminondas or -Nelson in the arms of victory, their whole attention absorbed in the -love of glory and of their country, I think really enviable. - -POIET.—I consider the death of the martyr or the saint as far more -enviable; for in this case, what may be considered as a divine instinct -of our nature, is called into exertion, and pain is subdued, or -destroyed, by a secure faith in the power and mercy of the Divinity. In -such cases man rises above mortality, and shows his true intellectual -superiority. By intellectual superiority I mean that of his spiritual -nature, for I do not consider the results of reason as capable of being -compared with those of faith. Reason is often a dead weight in life, -destroying feeling, and substituting, for principle, calculation and -caution; and, in the hour of death, it often produces fear or -despondency, and is rather a bitter draught than nectar or ambrosia in -the last meal of life. - -HAL.—I agree with Poietes. The higher and more intense the feeling, -under which death takes place, the happier it may be esteemed; and I -think even Physicus will be of our opinion, when I recollect the -conclusion of a conversation in Scotland. The immortal being never can -quit life with so much pleasure as with the feeling of immortality -secure, and the vision of celestial glory filling the mind, affected by -no other passion than the pure and intense love of God. - - - - - NINTH DAY. - - HALIEUS—POIETES—ORNITHER—PHYSICUS. - - FISHING FOR HUCHO. - - - _Scene—The Fall of the Traun, Upper Austria. - Time—July_. - -POIET.—THIS is a glorious scene! And the fall of this great and clear -river, with its accompaniments of wood, rock, and snow-clad mountain, -would alone furnish matter for discussion and conversation for many -days. This place is quite the paradise of a poetical angler; the only -danger is that of satiety with regard to sport; for these great grayling -and trout are so little used to the artificial fly, that they take -almost any thing moving on the top of the water. You see I have put on a -salmon fly, and still they rise at it, though they never can have seen -any thing like it before—and it is, in fact, not like any thing in -nature. - -HAL.—You are right, they never have seen any thing like it before; but, -in its motion, it is like a large fly, and this is the season for large -flies. The stone fly and the May fly, you see, occasionally drop upon -the water, and the colour of your large fly is not unlike that of the -stone fly; but if, instead of being here in the beginning of July, you -had visited this spot, as I once did, in the beginning of June, you -would have found more difficulty in catching grayling here, though not -so much as in our English rivers—in the Test, the Derwent, or the Dove. - -POIET.—How could this be? - -HAL.—At this season the large flies had not yet appeared; the small blue -dun was on the water, and I was obliged to use a fly the same as that -which suits our spring and late autumnal fishing. The fish refused all -large flies, but took greedily small ones; and, as usually happens when -small flies are used, more fish escaped after being hooked than were -taken; and these I found, the next day, were become as sagacious as our -Dove or Test fish, and refused the artificial fly, though they greedily -took the natural fly. - -PHYS.—These fish, then, have the same habits as our English salmons and -trouts? - -HAL.—The principle to which I have referred in two former conversations -must be general, though it has seemed to me, that they lost this memory -sooner than the fish of our English rivers, where fly fishing is common. -This, however, may be fancy, yet I have referred it to a kind of -hereditary disposition, which has been formed and transmitted from their -progenitors. - -PHYS.—However strange it may appear, I can believe this. When the early -voyagers discovered new islands, the birds upon them were quite tame, -and easily killed by sticks and stones, being fearless of man; but they -soon learned to know their enemy, and this newly acquired sagacity was -possessed by their offspring, who had never seen a man. Wild and -domesticated ducks are, in fact, from the same original type: it is only -necessary to compare them, when hatched together under a hen, to be -convinced of the principle of the hereditary transmission of habits,—the -wild young ones instantly fly from man, the tame ones are indifferent to -his presence. - -POIET.—No one can be less disposed than I am to limit the powers of -living nature, or to doubt the capabilities of organized structures; but -it does appear to me quite a dream, to suppose that a fish, pricked by -the hook of the artificial fly, should transmit a dread of it to its -offspring, though he does not even long retain the memory of it himself. - -HAL.—There are instances quite as extraordinary—but I will not dwell -upon them, as I am not quite sure of the fact which we are discussing; I -have made a guess only, and we must observe more minutely to establish -it; it may be even as you suppose—a mere dream. - -POIET.—I shall go and look at the fall: I am really satiated with sport; -this is the twentieth fish I have taken in an hour, and it is a grayling -of at least fifteen inches long; and there is a trout of eighteen, and -several salmon trout, which look as if they had run from the sea. - -HAL.—These salmon trout have run from a sea, but not from a salt sea; -they are fish of the Traun See, as it is called by the Germans, or Traun -Lake, which is emptied by this river. - -PHYS.—Tell us why they are so different from the river trout, or why -there should be two species or varieties in the same water. - -HAL.—Your question is a difficult one, and it has already been referred -to in a former conversation; but I shall repeat what I stated -before,—that qualities occasioned by food, peculiarities of water, &c. -are transmitted to the offspring, and produce varieties which retain -their characters as long as they are exposed to the same circumstances, -and only slowly lose them. Plenty of good food gives a silvery colour -and round form to fish, and the offspring retain these characters. -Feeding much on larvæ and on shell-fish thickens the stomach, and gives -a brighter yellow to the belly and fins, which become hereditary -characters. Even these smallest salmon trout have green backs, _only_ -black spots, and silvery bellies; from which it is evident, that they -are the offspring of lake trout, or _lachs forelle_, as it is called by -the Germans; whilst the river trout, even when 4 or 5lbs., as we see in -one of these fish, though in excellent season, have red spots.—But why -that exclamation? - -POIET.—What an immense fish! There he is! - -HAL.—I see nothing. - -POET.—At the edge of the pool, below the fall, I saw a fish, at least -two or three feet long, rising with great violence in the water, as if -in the pursuit of small fish; and at the same time I saw two or three -minnows or bleaks jump out of the water. What fish is it?—a trout? It -appeared to me too long and too slender for a trout, and had more the -character of a pike;—yet it followed, and did not, like a pike, make a -single dart. - -HAL.—I see him: it is neither a pike nor a trout, but a fish which I -have been some time hoping and expecting to see here, below the fall—a -_salmo hucho_, or _huchen_. I am delighted, that you have an opportunity -of seeing this curious fish, and of observing his habits. I hope we -shall catch him. - -POIET.—Catch him! we have no tackle strong enough. - -HAL.—I am surprised to hear a salmon fisher talk so: yet he _is_ too -large to take a fly, and must be trolled for. We must spin a bleak for -him, or small fish, as we do for the trout of the Thames or the salmon -of the Tay. Ornither, you understand the arrangement of this kind of -tackle—look out in my book the strongest set of spinning hooks you can -find, and supply them with a bleak; and whilst I am changing the reel, I -will give you all the information (which, I am sorry to say, is not -much) that I have been able to collect respecting this fish from my own -observation or the experience of others. The hucho is the most predatory -fish of the salmo genus, and is made like an ill-fed trout, but longer -and thicker. He has larger teeth, more spines in the pectoral fin, a -thicker skin, a silvery belly, and dark spots only on the back and -sides—I have never seen any on the fins. The ratio of his length to his -girth is as 8 to 18, or, in well fed fish, as 9 to 20; and a fish, 18 -inches long by 8 in girth, weighed 16,215 grains. Another, 2 feet long, -11 inches in girth, and 3 inches thick, weighed 4lbs. 2¼oz. Another, 26 -inches long, weighed 5lbs. 5oz. Of the spines in the fins, the anal has -9, the caudal 20, the ventral 9, the dorsal 12, the pectoral 17: having -numbered the spines in many, I give this as correct. The fleshy fin -belonging to the genus is, I think, larger in this species than in any I -have seen. Bloch, in his work on fishes, states that there are black -spots on all the fins, with the exception of the anal, as a character of -this fish: and Professor Wagner informs me he has seen huchos with this -peculiarity; but, as I said before, I never saw any fish with spotted -fins—yet I have examined those of the Danube, Save, Drave, Mur, and -Izar: perhaps this is peculiar to some stream in Bavaria—yet the huchos -in the collection at Munich have it not. The hucho is found in most -rivers tributary to the Danube—in the Save and Laybach rivers always; -yet the general opinion is, that they run from the Danube twice a year, -in spring and autumn. I can answer for their migration in spring, having -caught several in April, in streams connected with the Save and Laybach -rivers, which had evidently come from the still dead water into the -clear running streams, for they had the winter leech, or louse of the -trout upon them: and I have seen them of all sizes, in April, in the -market at Laybach, from six inches to two feet long; but they are found -much larger, and reach 30, or even 40, pounds. It is the opinion of some -naturalists, that it is _only_ a fresh water fish; yet this I doubt, -because it is never found beyond certain falls—as in the Traun, the -Drave, and the Save; and, there can be no doubt, comes into these rivers -from the Danube; and probably, in its larger state, is a fish of the -Black Sea. Yet it can winter in fresh water; and does not seem, like the -salmon, obliged to haunt the sea, but falls back into the warmer waters -of the great rivers, from which it migrates in spring, to seek a cooler -temperature and to breed. The fishermen at Gratz say they spawn in the -Mur, between March and May. In those I have caught at Laybach, which, -however, were small ones, the ova were not sufficiently developed to -admit of their spawning that spring. Marsigli says, that they spawn in -the Danube in June. You have seen how violently they pursue their prey: -I have never taken one without fish in his stomach; yet, when small, -they will take a fly. In the Kleingraben, which is a feeder to the -Laybach river, and where they are found of all sizes—from 20lbs. -downwards—the little ones take a fly, but the large ones are too -ravenous to care about so insignificant a morsel, and prey like the -largest trout, often hunting in company, and chasing the small fish into -the narrow and shallow streams, and then devouring them.—But I see your -tackle is ready. As a more experienced angler in this kind of fishing, -you will allow me to try my fortune with this fish. I still see him -feeding; but I must keep out of sight, for he has all the timidity -peculiar to the salmo genus, and, if he catch sight of me, will -certainly not run at the bait. - -ORN.—You spin the bleak for him, I see, as for a great trout. O! there! -he has run at it—and you have missed him. What a fish! You surely were -too quick, for he sprung out of the water at the bleak. - -HAL.—I was not too quick; but he rose just as the bleak was on the -surface, and saw me. - -POIET.—I think I see him moving in another part of the pool. - -HAL.—You are right; he has run again at the bleak, but only as it shone -on the surface. He has taken it. - -ORN.—He fights well, and runs towards the side where the rock is. - -HAL.—Take the net and frighten him from that place, which is the only -one where there is danger of loosing him. He is clear now, and begins to -tire, and in a few minutes more he will be exhausted.—Now land him. - -POIET.—A noble fish! But how like a trout—exactly like a sea trout in -whiteness, and I think in spots. - -HAL.—He is much narrower, or less broad, as you would immediately -discover, if you had a sea trout here. But now we must try another pool, -or the tail of this; that fish was not alone, and at the moment he took -the bait, I think I saw the water move from the stir of another. Take -your rod and fit your own tackle, Ornither; half the glory of catching -this fish is yours, as you prepared the hooks. I see you are in earnest; -the blood mounts in your face. Oh! oh! Ornither! you have pulled with -too much violence, and broken your tackle. Alas! alas! the fish you -hooked was the consort of mine: he will not take again. - -ORN.—The gut was bad, for I do not think I struck too violently. What a -loss! How hard, to let the first fish of the kind I ever angled for -escape me! - -HAL.—There are probably more: try again. - -ORN.—Behold! the loss was more owing to the imperfection of the tackle -than to my ardour; for the two end hooks only are gone, and you may see -the gut worn. - -HAL.—The thing is done, and is not worth comment. If you can, let the -next fish that rises hook himself. When we are ardent, we are bad judges -of the effort we make; and an angler, who could be cool with a new -species of salmo, I should not envy. Now all is right again: try that -pool. There is a fish—ay! and another, that runs at your bait; but they -are small ones, not much more than twice as large as the bleak; yet they -show their spirit, and though they cannot swallow it, they have torn it. -Put on another bleak. There! you have another run. - -ORN.—Ay, it is a small fish, not much more than a foot long; yet he -fights well. - -HAL.—You have him, and I will land him. I do not think such a fish a bad -initiation into this kind of sport. He does not agitate so much as a -larger one, and yet gratifies curiosity. There, we have him. A very -beautiful fish; yet he has the leech, or louse, though his belly is -quite white. - -ORN.—This fish is so like a trout, that, had I caught him when alone, I -should hardly have remarked his peculiarities; and I am not convinced, -that it is not a variety of the common trout, altered, in many -generations, by the predatory habits of his ancestors. - -HAL.—How far the principle of change of character and transmission of -such character to the offspring will apply, I shall not attempt to -determine, and whether all the varieties of the salmo with teeth in -their mouth may not have been produced from one original; yet this fish -is _now_ as distinct from the trout, as the _char_ or the _umbla_ is; -and in Europe, it exists only below great falls in streams connected -with the Danube, and is never found in rivers of the same districts -connected with the Rhine, Elbe, or which empty themselves into the -Mediterranean; though trout are common in all these streams, and salmon -and sea trout in those connected with the ocean. According to the -descriptions of Pallas, it occurs in the rivers of Siberia, and probably -exists in those that run into the Caspian; and it is remarkable, that it -is not found where the eel is usual—at least this applies to all the -tributary streams of the Danube, and, it is said, to the rivers of -Siberia. Wherever I have seen it, there have been always coarse fish—as -chub, white fish, bleak, &c., and rivers containing such fish are its -natural haunts, for it requires abundance of food, and serves to convert -these indifferent poor fish into a better kind of nourishment for man. -We will now examine the interior of these fish. You see the stomach is -larger than that of a trout, and the stomachs of both are full of small -fish. In the larger one there is a chub, a grayling, a bleak, and two or -three small carp. The skin you see is thick; the scales are smaller than -those of a trout; it has no teeth on the palate, and the pectoral fin -has four spines more, which, I think, enables it to turn with more -rapidity. You will find at dinner, that, fried or roasted, he is a good -fish. His flesh is white, but not devoid of curd; and though rather -softer than that of a trout, I have never observed in it that -_muddiness_, or peculiar flavour, which sometimes occurs in trout, even -when in perfect season. - -I shall say a few words more on the habits of this fish. The hucho, as -you have seen, preys with great violence, and pursues his object as a -foxhound or a greyhound does. I have seen them in repose: they lie like -pikes, perfectly still, and I have watched one for many minutes, that -never moved at all. In this respect their habits resemble those of most -carnivorous and predatory animals. It is probably in consequence of -these habits, that they are so much infested by lice, or leeches, which -I have seen so numerous in spring as almost to fill their gills, and -interfere with their respiration, in which case they seek the most rapid -and turbulent streams to free themselves from these enemies. They are -very shy, and after being hooked avoid the baited line. I once saw a -hucho, for which I was fishing, follow the small fish, and then the lead -of the tackle; it seemed as if _this_ had fixed his attention, and he -never offered at the bait afterwards. I think a hucho, that has been -pricked by the hook, becomes particularly cautious, and possesses, in -this respect, the same character as the salmon. In summer, when they are -found in the roughest and most violent currents, their fins -(particularly the caudal fin) often appear worn and broken; at this -season they are usually in constant motion against the stream, and are -stopped by no cataract or dam, unless it be many feet in height, and -quite inaccessible. In the middle of September I have caught huchos -perfectly clean in rapid cool streams, tributary to the Laybach and the -Sava rivers; and, from the small developement of their generative system -at this time, I have no doubt that they spawn in spring. On the 13th of -September, 1828, I caught, by spinning the dead small fish, three -huchos, that had not a single leech upon their bodies, and they were the -first fish of the kind I ever saw free from these parasites. - -ORN.—I am so much pleased with my good fortune in catching this fish, -that I shall try all day to-morrow with the bait, for more of the same -kind. - -HAL.—You may do so; but many of these fish cannot be caught; they -migrate generally when the water is foul, and, except in the spring and -autumn, do not so readily run at the bait. I was once nearly a month -seeking for one in rivers in which they are found, between the end of -June and that of July, without being able to succeed in even _seeing_ -one alive; and as far as my information goes, the two places where there -is most probability of taking them, are at Laybach and Ratisbon, in the -tributary streams to the Sava, and in the Danube; and the best time, in -the first of these situations, is in March and April, and in the second, -in May. I am told, likewise, that the Izar, which runs by Munich, is a -stream where they may be caught, when the water is clear: but I have -never fished in this stream—it having been foul, either from rain, or -the melting of the snows, whenever I have been at Munich; but I have -seen in the fish-market at Munich very large huchos. Late in the autumn, -or in early spring, this river must be an interesting one to fish in, as -the _schill_, or _perca lucio perca_, and three other species of _perca_ -are found in it—the zingel, the apron, and the _perca_ schratz—all fish -of prey, and excellent food. I have eaten them, but never taken them; -they are rare in European rivers, though not, like the hucho, peculiar -to the tributary streams of the Danube. The schill is found likewise in -the Sprey and in the Hungarian lakes, and, according to Bloch, the -zingel in the Rhone. - -POIET.—I should like extremely to fish in the Izar: it is, I think, a -new kind of pleasure to take a new kind of fish, even though it is not -unknown to Natural Historians. But the most exquisite kind of angling, -in my opinion, would be that of angling in a river never fished in by -Europeans before; and I can scarcely imagine sport of a higher kind than -that which involves a triple source of pleasure—catching a fish, -procuring good food for the table, and making a discovery in Natural -History, at the same time. Sir Joseph Banks, who was always a great -amateur of angling, had often this kind of gratification. And to Captain -Franklin and Dr. Richardson, in their expedition to the Arctic Ocean, -when they were almost starving, what a delightful circumstance it must -have been, to have taken with a fly those large grayling, which they -mention, of a new species, equally beautiful in their appearance, and -good for the table! - -HAL.—When a boy, I have felt an interest in sea fishing, for this -reason—that there was a variety of fish; but the want of skill in the -amusement—sinking a bait with a lead and pulling up a fish by main -force, soon made me tired of it. Since I have been a fly-fisher, I have -rarely fished in the sea, and then only with a reel and fine tackle from -the rocks, which is at least as interesting an amusement as that of the -Cockney fishermen, who fish for roach and dace in the Thames, which I -have tried twice in my life, but shall never try again. - -PHYS.—You are severe on Cockney fishermen, and, I suppose, would apply -to _them only_, the observation of Dr. Johnson, which on a former -occasion you would not allow to be just: “Angling is an amusement with a -stick and a string; a worm at one end, and a fool at the other.” And to -yourself you would apply it with this change: “a fly at one end, and a -philosopher at the other.” Yet the pleasure of the Cockney Angler -appears to me of much the same kind, and perhaps more continuous than -yours; and he has the happiness of constant occupation and perpetual -pursuit in as high a degree as you have; and if we were to look at the -real foundations of your pleasure, we should find them, like most of the -foundations of human happiness—vanity or folly. I shall never forget the -impression made upon me some years ago, when I was standing on the pier -at Donegal, watching the flowing of the tide: I saw a lame boy of -fourteen or fifteen years old, very slightly clad, that some persons -were attempting to stop in his progress along the pier; but he resisted -them with his crutches, and, halting along, threw himself from an -elevation of five or six feet, with his crutches, and a little parcel of -wooden boats, that he carried under his arm, on the sand of the beach. -He had to scramble or halt at least 100 yards, over hard rocks, before -he reached the water, and he several times fell down and cut his naked -limbs on the bare stones. Being in the water, he seemed in an ecstacy, -and immediately put his boats in sailing order, and was perfectly -inattentive to the counsel and warning of the spectators, who shouted to -him, that he would be drowned. His whole attention was absorbed by his -boats. He had formed an idea, that one should outsail the rest, and when -this boat was foremost he was in delight; but if any one of the others -got beyond it he howled with grief; and once I saw him throw his crutch -at one of the unfavoured boats. The tide came in rapidly—he lost his -crutches, and would have been drowned, but for the care of some of the -spectators: he was however wholly inattentive to any thing save his -boats. He is said to be quite insane and perfectly ungovernable, and -will not live in a house, or wear any clothes, and his whole life is -spent in this one business—making and managing a fleet of wooden boats, -of which he is sole admiral. How near this mad youth is to a genius, a -hero, or to an angler, who injures his health and risks his life by -going into the water as high as his middle, in the hope of catching a -fish which he sees rise, though he already has a pannier full. - -HAL.—Or a statesman, working by all means, fair and foul, to obtain a -blue ribband. Or a fox-hunter, risking his neck to see the hounds -destroy an animal, which he preserves to be destroyed, and which is good -for nothing. Or an aged, licentious voluptuary, using all the powers of -a high and cultivated intellect to destroy the innocence of a beautiful -virgin—for a transient gratification to render her miserable, and by -making a flaw in an inestimable and brilliant gem, utterly to destroy -its value. - -PHYS.—You might go on and cite almost all the objects of pursuit of -rational beings, as, by distinction, they are called. But to return to -your favourite amusement. I wonder, that, with such a passion for -angling, you have never made an expedition in one of our whalers—with -Captain Scoresby for instance: you would then have enjoyed sport of a -new kind. - -HAL.—I should like much to see a whale taken, but I do not think the -sight worth the dangers and privations of such a voyage. It would only -be an amusing spectacle and not an enterprise, unless indeed I employed -myself the harpoon; and after all it must be a tedious operation, that -of watching the sinking and rising of a fish obedient to a natural -instinct, which, in this instance, is the cause of his death. - -POIET.—How? - -HAL.—The whale, having no air bladder, can sink to the lowest depths of -the ocean, and, mistaking the harpoon for the teeth of a sword fish or a -shark, he instantly descends, this being his manner of freeing himself -from these enemies, who cannot bear the pressure of a deep ocean, and -from ascending and descending in small space, he puts himself in the -power of the whaler; where as, if he knew his force, and were to swim on -the surface in a straight line, he would break or destroy the machinery -by which he is arrested, as easily as a salmon breaks the single gut of -a fisher when his reel is entangled. - -POIET.—My amusement in such a voyage would be to look for the kraken and -the sea snake. - -HAL.—You have a vivid imagination, and might see them. - -POIET.—Then you do not believe in the existence of these wonderful -animals? - -HAL.—No more than I do in that of the merman, or mermaid. - -POIET.—Yet we have histories, which seem authentic, of the appearance of -these monsters, and there are not wanting persons who assert, that they -have seen the mermaid even in these islands. - -HAL.—I disbelieve the authenticity of these stories. I do not mean to -deny the existence of large marine animals having analogies to the -serpent; the conger we know is such an animal: I have seen one nearly -ten feet long, and there may be longer ones, but such animals do not -come to the surface. The only sea snake, that has been examined by -naturalists, turned out to be a putrid species of shark—the _squalus -maximus_. Yet all the newspapers gave accounts of this as a real animal, -and endowed it with feet, which do not belong to serpents. And the sea -snakes, seen by American and Norwegian captains, have, I think, -generally been a company of porpoises, the rising and sinking of which -in lines would give somewhat the appearance of the coils of a snake. The -kraken, or island fish, is still more imaginary. I have myself seen -immense numbers of enormous _urticæ marinæ_, or blubbers, in the north -seas, and in some of the Norwegian _fiords_, or inland bays, and often -these beautiful creatures give colour to the water; but it is -exceedingly improbable, that an animal of this genus should ever be of -the size, even of the whale; its soft materials are little fitted for -locomotion, and would be easily destroyed by every kind of fish. Hands -and a finny tail are entirely contrary to the analogy of nature, and I -disbelieve the mermaid upon philosophical principles. The dugong and -manatee are the only animals combining the functions of the mammalia -with some of the characters of fishes, that can be imagined, even as a -link, this part of the order of nature. Many of these stories have been -founded upon the long-haired seal seen at a distance, others on the -appearance of the common seal under particular circumstances of light -and shade, and some on still more singular circumstances. A worthy -baronet, remarkable for his benevolent views and active spirit, has -propagated a story of this kind, and he seems to claim for his native -country the honour of possessing this extraordinary animal; but the -mermaid of Caithness was certainly a _gentleman_, who happened to be -travelling on that wild shore, and who was seen bathing by some young -ladies at so great a distance, that not only _genus_ but gender was -mistaken. I am acquainted with him, and have had the story from his own -mouth. He is a young man, fond of geological pursuits, and one day in -the middle of August, having fatigued and heated himself by climbing a -rock to examine a particular appearance of a granite, he gave his -clothes to his Highland guide, who was taking care of his pony, and -descended to the sea. The sun was just setting, and he amused himself -for some time by swimming from rock to rock, and having unclipped hair -and no cap, he sometimes threw aside his locks, and wrung the water from -them on the rocks. He happened the year after to be at Harrowgate, and -was sitting at table with two young ladies from Caithness, who were -relating to a wondering audience the story of the mermaid they had seen, -which had already been published in the newspapers: they described her, -as she usually is described by poets, as a beautiful animal, with -remarkably fair skin, and long green hair. The young gentleman took the -liberty, as most of the rest of the company did, to put a few questions -to the elder of the two ladies—such as, on what day and precisely where -this singular phenomenon had appeared. She had noted down, not merely -the day, but the hour and minute, and produced a map of the place. Our -bather referred to his journal, and showed, that a human animal was -swimming in the very spot at that very time, who had some of the -characters ascribed to the mermaid, but who laid no claim to others, -particularly the green hair and fish’s tail; but being rather sallow in -the face, was glad to have such testimony to the colour of his body -beneath his garments. - -POIET.—But I do not understand upon what philosophical principles you -deny the existence of the mermaid. We are not necessarily acquainted -with all the animals that inhabit the bottom of the sea; and I cannot -help thinking there must have been some foundation for the fable of the -Tritons and Nereids. - -HAL.—Ay; and of the ocean divinities, Neptune and Amphitrite! - -POIET.—Now I think you are prejudiced. - -HAL.—I remember the worthy baronet, whom I just now mentioned, on some -one praising the late Sir Joseph Banks very highly, said, “Sir Joseph -was an excellent man—but he had his prejudices.” What were they? said my -friend. “Why, he did not believe in the mermaid.” Pray still consider me -as the baronet did Sir Joseph—prejudiced on this subject. - -ORN.—But give us some reasons for the impossibility of the existence of -this animal. - -HAL.—Nay, I did not say impossibility; I am too much of the school of -Isaac Walton to talk of impossibility. It doubtless might please God to -make a mermaid; but I do not believe God ever did make one. - -ORN.—And why? - -HAL.—Because wisdom and order are found in all his works, and the parts -of animals are always in harmony with each other, and always adapted to -certain ends consistent with the analogy of nature; and a human head, -human hands, and human mammæ, are wholly inconsistent with a fish’s -tail. The human head is adapted for an erect posture, and in such a -posture an animal with a fish’s tail could not swim; and a creature with -lungs must be on the surface several times in a day—and the sea is an -inconvenient breathing place; and hands are instruments of -manufacture—and the depths of the ocean are little fitted for -fabricating that mirror which our old prints gave to the mermaid. Such -an animal, if created, could not long exist; and, with scarcely any -locomotive powers, would be the prey of other fishes, formed in a manner -more suited to their element. I have seen a most absurd fabrication of a -mermaid, exposed as a show in London, said to have been found in the -Chinese seas, and bought for a large sum of money. The head and bust of -two different apes were fastened to the lower part of a kipper salmon, -which had the fleshy fin, and all the distinct characters, of the _salmo -salar_. - -ORN.—And yet there were people who believed this to be a real animal. - -HAL.—It was insisted on, to prove the truth of the Caithness story. But -what is there which people will not believe? - -POIET.—In listening to your conversation we have forgotten our angling, -and have lost some moments of fine cloudy weather. - -HAL.—I thought you were tired of catching trouts and graylings, and I -therefore did not urge you to continue your fly-fishing; and this part -of the river does not contain so many grayling as the pools above—but -there are good trout, and it is possible there may be huchos. Let me -recommend to you to put on minnow tackle—that tackle with the five small -hooks; and, as we have minnows and bleaks, you may perhaps hook trout, -or even huchos; and in half an hour our fish dinner at the inn will be -ready. I shall return there, to see that all is right, and shall expect -you when you have finished your fishing. - - -[_They all meet in the dining-room of the inn._] - - -HAL.—Well, what sort of sport have you had since I left you? - -POIET.—We have each caught a trout and two large chubs, and have had two -or three runs besides—but we saw no huchos; and though several large -grayling rose in one of the streams, and we tried to catch them by -spinning the minnow in every possible way, yet they took no notice of -our bait. - -HAL.—This is usually the case. I have heard of anglers who have taken -grayling with minnows, but it is a rare occurrence, and never happened -to me. Your dinner, I dare say, is now ready; and you know it is a -dinner entirely of the _genus salmo_, with vegetables and fruit. You -have hucho from the Traun, and char from Aussee, and trout from the -Traun See, that were brought alive to the inn, and have only just been -killed and crimped, and are now boiling in salt and water; and you have -likewise grayling and laverets from the Traun See, which are equally -fresh, and will be fried. - -PHYS.—I think, in this part of the continent, the art of carrying and -keeping fish is better understood than in England. Every inn has a box -containing grayling, trout, carp, or char, into which water from a -spring runs; and no one thinks of carrying or sending _dead_ fish for a -dinner. A fish barrel full of cool water, which is replenished at every -fresh source amongst these mountains, is carried on the shoulders of the -fisherman. And the fish, when confined in wells, are fed with bullock’s -liver, cut into fine pieces, so that they are often in better season in -the tank or stew than when they were taken. I have seen trout, grayling, -and char even, feed voraciously, and take their food almost from the -hand. These methods of carrying and preserving fish have, I believe, -been adopted from the monastic establishments. At Admondt, in Styria, -attached to the magnificent monastery of that name, are abundant ponds -and reservoirs for every species of fresh water fish; and the char, -grayling, and trout are preserved in different waters—covered, enclosed, -and under lock and key. - -POIET.—I admire in this country not only the mode of preserving, -carrying, and dressing fish, but I am delighted, generally, with the -habits of life of the peasants, and with their manners. It is a country -in which I should like to live; the scenery is so beautiful, the people -so amiable and good-natured, and their attentions to strangers so marked -by courtesy and disinterestedness. - -PHYS.—They appear to me very amiable and good; but all classes seem to -be little instructed. - -POIET.—There are few philosophers amongst them, certainly; but they -appear very happy, and - - Where ignorance is bliss, ’tis folly to be wise. - -We have neither seen nor heard of any instances of crime since we have -been here. They fear their God, love their sovereign, are obedient to -the laws, and seem perfectly contented. I know you would contrast them -with the active and educated peasantry of the manufacturing districts of -England; but I believe they are much happier, and I am sure they are -generally better. - -PHYS.—I doubt this: the sphere of enjoyment, as well as of benevolence, -is enlarged by education. - -POIET.—I am sorry to say I think the system carried too far in England. -God forbid, that any useful light should be extinguished! Let persons -who wish for education receive it; but it appears to me, that, in the -great cities in England, it is, as it were, forced upon the population; -and that sciences, which the lower classes can only very superficially -acquire, are presented to them; in consequence of which they often -become idle and conceited, and above their usual laborious occupations. -The unripe fruit of the tree of knowledge is, I believe, always bitter -or sour; and scepticism and discontent—sicknesses of the mind—are often -the results of devouring it. - -HAL.—Surely you cannot have a more religious, more moral, or more -improved population than that of Scotland? - -POIET.—Precisely so. In Scotland, education is not forced upon the -people—it is sought for, and is connected with their forms of faith, -acquired in the bosoms of their families, and generally pursued with a -distinct object of prudence or interest: nor is that kind of education -wanting in this country. - -PHYS.—Where a book is rarely seen, a newspaper never. - -POIET.—Pardon me—there is not a cottage without a prayer book; and I am -not sorry, that these innocent and happy men are not made active and -tumultuous subjects of _King Press_, whom I consider as the most -capricious, depraved, and unprincipled tyrant, that ever existed in -England. Depraved—for it is to be bought by great wealth; -capricious—because it sometimes follows, and sometimes forms, the voice -of the lowest mob; and unprincipled—because, when its interests are -concerned, it sets at defiance private feeling and private character, -and neither regards their virtue, dignity, nor purity. - -HAL.—My friends, you are growing warm. I know you differ essentially on -this subject; but surely you will allow that the full liberty of the -press, even though it sometimes degenerates into licentiousness, and -though it may sometimes be improperly used by the influence of wealth, -power, or private favour, is yet highly advantageous, and even essential -to the existence of a free country; and, useful as it may be to the -population, it is still more useful to the government, to whom, as -expressing the voice of the people, though not always _vox Dei_, it may -be regarded as oracular or prophetic.—But let us change our -conversation, which is neither in time nor place. - -POIET.—This river must be inexhaustible for sport: I have nowhere seen -so many fish. - -HAL.—However full a river may be of trout and grayling, there is a -certain limit to the sport of the angler, if continuous fishing be -adopted in the same pools. Every fish is in its turn made acquainted by -diurnal habit with the artificial fly, and either taken or rendered -cautious; so that, in a river fished much by one or two good anglers, -many fish cannot be caught, except under peculiar circumstances of very -windy, rainy, or cloudy weather, when many flies come on; or at night, -or at the time the water is slightly coloured by a flood, or when fish -change their haunts in consequence of a great inundation. In the Usk, in -Monmouthshire, when it was very full of fish in the best fishing time, -when the spring brown and dun flies were on the water, it was not usual -for some excellent anglers, who composed a party of nine, and who fished -in this river for ten continuous days, to catch more than two or three -fish each person. But one day, when the water was coloured by a flood, -in which case the artificial fly could not be distinguished by the fish -from the natural fly, I caught twelve or fourteen of the same fish, that -had been in the habit of refusing my flies for many days successively. -This was in the end of March, 1809, when the flies always came on the -water with great regularity; the blues in dark days, the browns in -bright days, between twelve and two o’clock in the middle of the day. In -rivers where the artificial fly has never been used, I believe all the -fish will mistake good imitations for natural flies, and in their turn, -to use an angler’s phrase, “taste the steel;” but even very imperfect -imitations and coarse tackle, which are only successful at night or in -turbid water, are sufficient to render fish cautious. This I am -convinced of, by observing the difference of the habits of fish in -strictly preserved streams, and in streams where even peasants have -fished with the coarsest tackle. I might quote the Traun at Ischl, where -the native fisherman used three or four of the coarsest flies on the -coarsest hair links made of four or five or six hairs, and the Traun at -Gmunden, where they are not allowed to fish. The fish that rose took -with much more certainty at Gmunden than at Ischl. - -At a time when many flies are on, particularly large ones, a few days of -continuous fishing, even with a single rod, will soon make the sport -indifferent in the best rivers; but the larger and the deeper the river -the longer it continues, because fish change their stations -occasionally, and pricked fish sometimes leave their haunts, which are -occupied by others; and graylings are more disposed to change their -places than trouts. - -As instances of the difference in this respect between large and small -rivers, I may quote the Vockla and the Agger in Upper Austria. The first -of these rivers, when I fished in it in 1818, was full of trout and -grayling, and I believe I was the first person, for at least many years, -that had ever thrown an artificial fly upon it. It is a small stream, -from eight to fifteen yards wide, and can every where be commanded by -the double-handed rod, and is generally shallow. The first day that I -fished in this stream, which was in the beginning of August, at every -throw I hooked a fish, and I took out and restored again to their -element in the course of a few hours more than one hundred and fifty -trout and grayling. The next day I fished in the same places, but with a -very different result: I caught only half a dozen large fish: the third -morning, going over the same ground, I had great difficulty even to get -a brace of fish for my dinner, and those, as well as I recollect, I -caught by throwing in places which had not been fished before. I ought -to mention, that the space of water where this experiment was made did -not exceed half a mile in length. I shall now speak of the Agger, which -is a much larger and deeper river than the Vockla, and cannot be -commanded in any part by a double-handed rod, being at least from forty -to sixty yards across. The first time I fished this river, I had the -same kind of sport as in the Vockla; the second day, under the same -favourable circumstances, there were fewer rises than on the first day, -but still sufficient to give good sport; and it was the fourth day -before it became difficult to catch a good dish of fish, and necessary -to seek new water. The greater depth of the water, and the change of -place of the fish, particularly the grayling, explain this, to say -nothing of the greater number of fish which the larger river contained. -I am, of course, speaking of one of the best periods of fly-fishing, -when many large flies, of which imitations are easily found, have been -on the water. In spring (a bad season for fly-fishing in high Alpine -countries) I have thrown great varieties of flies on these two highly -stocked streams, and have found it difficult to get a brace of fish for -the table, as the trout and grayling were all lying at the bottom, not -expecting any _winged food_ at this season. - -A river that runs into a large lake affords, at its junction with the -lake, by far the best place for continuous angling, particularly for -trout in autumn. The fish are constantly running up the river for the -purpose of spawning, and every day offers a succession of new shoals, of -which many will take the fly; I say _many_, because at this season some -of the fish, particularly the females, are capricious, and refuse a -bait, of which, under other circumstances they are greedy. I may say the -same with respect to the exit of a river from a lake, to which -successions of fishes resort, and though trout are found abundantly in -such places, yet they are often still better places for grayling when -these fish exist in the lake, the tendency of grayling being rather, as -I said on another occasion, to descend than to ascend waters, whilst -that of the trout is the contrary. The same principles apply to salmon -and sea-trout fishing, which run up rivers from basins of the sea: the -best situations for continuous angling are those parts of the river -where there is a succession of fishes from the tide. - -POIET.—You spoke just now of peasants fishing with the fly in Austria: I -thought this art was entirely English; and though I have travelled much, -I do not recollect ever to have seen fly-fishing practised by native -anglers abroad. - -HAL.—I assure you there are fishers with the artificial fly in different -parts of Switzerland, Germany, and Illyria, though always with rude -tackle, and usually upon rapid streams. Besides the Traun I can mention -the Rhine, the Rhone, and the Drave, as rivers where I have seen fish -caught with rude imitations of flies used by native anglers. In Italy, -where trout and grayling are very rare, and only found amongst the -highest mountain chains, I have never seen any fly-fishers, but near -Ravenna I have sometimes seen anglers for frogs, who threw their bait -exactly as we throw a fly, and caught great numbers of these animals: -and the nature of their apparatus surprised me more than their method of -using it. Instead of a hook and bait they employed a small dry frog, -tied to a long piece of twine, the fore legs of which projected like two -hooks, and this they threw at a distance, by means of a long rod. The -frogs rose like fish and gorged the small dry frog, by the legs of which -they were pulled out of the water. I was informed by one of these -fishermen, that he sometimes took 200 frogs in this way in a morning, -and that the frogs never swallowed any bait when still or apparently -dead, but caught at whatever was moving or appeared alive on the surface -of the water; so that this amphibia feeds like a nobler animal, the -eagle, only on living prey. - -POIET.—You say trout are rare in Italy, yet on Ash-wednesday, a great -day for the consumption of fish in Rome, I remember to have seen some -large trout, which, I was told, were from the Velino, above the falls of -Terni. - -HAL.—I once went almost to the source of this river, above Rieti, in the -hopes of catching trout, but I was unsuccessful. I saw some taken by -nets, but the fish were too few, and the river too foul, from the -deposition of calcareous matter, to render it a good stream for the -angler. In this journey I saw some trout in brooks in the Sabine -country, that I dare say might have been taken by the fly, but they were -small, and like the brook trout of England. In these streams, as well as -in the Velino and other torrents, I found the water-ouzel, which, as far -as my knowledge extends, is always a companion of the trout, and I -believe feeds much upon the same larvæ or water-flies. - -ORN.—These singular little birds, as I have witnessed, walk under water. -I have often watched them running beneath the surface of the sides of -streams, and passing between stones. I conclude they were then in the -act of searching for, or feeding upon larvæ. - -HAL.—I suppose so, and I hope Ornither will shoot one to give us an -opportunity of examining the contents of their stomachs, and of knowing -with certainty the nature of their food. - -PHYS.—The char[8] is a most beautiful and excellent fish, and is, of -course, a fish of prey. Is he not an object of sport to the angler? - -HAL.—They generally haunt deep cool lakes, and are seldom found at the -surface till late in the autumn. When they are at the surface, however, -they will take either fly or minnow. I have known some caught in both -these ways; and have myself taken a char, even in summer, in one of -those beautiful, small, deep lakes in the Upper Tyrol, near Nazereit; -but it was where a cool stream entered from the mountain; and the fish -did not rise, but swallowed the artificial fly under water. The char is -always in its colour a very brilliant fish, but in different countries -there are many varieties in the tint. I do not remember ever to have -seen more beautiful fish than those of Aussee, which, when in perfect -season, have the lower fins and the belly of the brightest vermilion, -with a white line on the outside of the pectoral, ventral, anal, and -lower part of the caudal fin, and with vermilion spots, surrounded by -the bright olive shade of the sides and back: the dorsal fin in the char -has 11 spines, the pectoral 14, the ventral 9, the anal 10, and the -caudal 20. I have fished for them in many lakes, without success, both -in England and Scotland, and also amongst the Alps; and I am told the -only sure way of taking them is by sinking a line with a bullet, and a -hook having a live minnow attached to it, in the deep water which they -usually haunt; and in this way, likewise, I have no doubt the _umbla_, -or _ombre chevalier_, might be taken. - -POIET.—I have never happened to see this fish. - -HAL.—It is very like char in form, but is without spots, and has a white -and silvery belly. On the table, its flesh cuts white or cream-colour, -and it is exceedingly like char in flavour. Feb. 11, 1827, one was -brought me from the lake of Bourget, in Savoy; it was said to be small -for this fish; it was 15 inches long, and 7½ in circumference. In the -dorsal fin there were 12 spines, in the pectoral 9, in the ventral 8, in -the anal 11, and in the caudal 24. - -POIET.—Is it found in this country? - -HAL.—From some descriptions I have heard of certain species of the salmo -found in the Maun See, Traun See, and Leopoldstadt See, I think it is. -Bloch says, that it is peculiar to the lakes of Geneva and Neufchatel; -but what I have just said must convince you of the inaccuracy of this -statement, as I dare say the fish exists in other deep waters of a like -character amongst the Alps. It is a fish closely allied to the char, and -congenerous both in form and habits. - -PHYS.—You mentioned, among the fish for dinner, the laveret: I never -heard of this fish before. - -HAL.—It is a fish known in England by the name of _shelley_, or fresh -water herring; in Wales, by that of _guinead_; in Ireland, by that of -_pollan_; and in Scotland, by that of _vengis_. In colour it is most -like a grayling, but with broader and larger scales: it is common in the -large lakes of most Alpine countries, and is known at Geneva by the name -of _ferra_; and I believe that the _salmo ceruleus_, or _wartmann_ of -Bloch, or the _gang-fisch_ of the lake of Constante, from a comparison -that I made of it with the _ferra_, is a variety of the same fish. It -sometimes is as large as 2lbs.; and when quite fresh, and well fried or -boiled, is an exceedingly good fish, and calvers like a grayling. The -laveret of different lakes has appeared to me to vary in the number of -the spines in the fins. One, brought me from the lake of Zurich, 13 -inches long, and 8 inches in girth, had 12 spines in the dorsal fin, 15 -in the pectoral fins, 11 in the ventral, 13 in the anal, and 18 in the -caudal. The gang-fisch, from the lake of Constanz, which was of a bluer -colour, but, I think decidedly, only a variety of the same fish, was 7¾ -inches long, and 4 in girth, had 12 spines in the dorsal fin, 15 in the -pectoral, 11 in the ventral, 12 in the anal, and 18 in the caudal. A -laveret, from the Traun See, had 12 spines in the dorsal fin, 17 in the -pectoral, 13 in the ventral fin, 12 in the anal fin, and 24 in the -caudal fin. One from the Hallstadt See was a larger and broader fish, -but did not differ from the laveret, of the Traun See, except in having -two spines less in the tail. - -POIET.—Is this fish ever taken with the line? - -HAL.—I believe only with nets. It feeds on vegetables; and in the -stomachs of those I have opened, I have never found either flies or -small fishes. - - - AT TABLE. - -ORN.—Now the hucho is dressed, and on the same table with other species -of the salmo, I perceive his peculiarities more distinctly; and, in -addition to those you have mentioned, he appears to me to have a -stronger upper jaw, and a larger projection of bone below the orbit of -the eye. - -HAL.—He has; and you will find a similar character in the pike and -perch, and, I believe, in most fishes of prey; and the use of it seems -to be, to strengthen the fulcrum of the lever on which the lower jaw -moves, so as to afford the means of greater strength to the whole -muscular apparatus, by means of which the fish seizes his prey. - -POIET.—These fishes, then, are analogous to the predatory animals of the -feline genus, which have this part of the head exceedingly strong; and -it is here that the craniologists or phrenologists fix the organ of -courage: does not this extensive chain of analogies offer an argument in -favour of this long agitated and generally unpopular doctrine? - -PHYS.—In my opinion, it offers, like most of the facts which have been -brought forward to prove the truths of the view of Gall and Spurzheim, -an argument rather unfavourable, when thoroughly and minutely examined. - -POIET.—How? - -PHYS.—In these rapacious and predatory animals, the organization of the -head must be connected with the functions of the jaws, as the -construction of the shoulder-blade must be related to the use of the -fore leg, which, being intended to strike and seize by talons, must have -a powerful support and a strong bony apparatus in the shoulder, which -might as well be called the organ of courage as the projection below the -frontal bone: but these animals have no more what is called courage in -man, than they have what is called reason: they face danger when they -are hungry, but almost always fly when their appetite is satisfied: a -hen, in defending her chickens against a powerful dog, or the game cock, -in fighting for the female, or the timid stag, at the time of the sexual -intercourse, shows quite as much of this quality as the most ferocious -royal tiger. Courage is the result of strong passions or strong motives; -and in man it usually results from the love of glory or the fear of -shame; and it appears to me a perfectly absurd idea, that of connecting -it with an organ, which is merely intended to assist the predatory -habits and the mastication of a carnivorous animal. - -HAL.—I agree with Physicus in this view of the subject. I once heard a -physiologist of some reputation deducing an argument in favour of -craniology from the form of the skull of the beaver, which he called a -constructive animal, and contended, that there was something of the same -character in the skulls of distinguished architects: now, the skull of -the beaver is so formed, that he is able to use his jaws for cutting -down the trees with which he makes his dam; and if this analogy were -correct, the architect ought unquestionably to employ his teeth for the -same purpose; and though I have known distinguished men, who have been -in the habit of using knives for cutting furniture with a sort of -nervous restlessness of hand, I do not recollect to have heard of the -teeth being employed in the same way; and I think it would be quite as -correct, to find the architectural or constructive organ in the opposite -part of the body, the tail, as the beaver makes a more ingenious use of -this part than even of his mouth. Pray, have you ever observed, Poietes, -any particular protuberance in the nether parts of any of our -distinguished architects? - -POIET.—I am not a craniologist; but I would have the doctrine overturned -by facts, and not by ridicule; and I have certainly seen some remarkable -instances, which were favourable to the system. - -HAL.—My experience is entirely on the opposite side; and I once saw a -distinguished craniologist in error on a point, which he considered as -the most decided. He was shown two children, one of whom was possessed -of great mathematical acquirements, the other of extraordinary musical -taste. With the utmost confidence he pronounced judgment, and was -mistaken. It appeared to me, that, whilst he was examining the two -heads, he hummed an air, which, being out of tune, was not responded to -by the musical child; but somehow struck the fancy of the mathematical -one. - -ORN.—This hucho is a very good fish, and, indeed, I can praise all the -varieties of the salmon on the table that I have yet tasted. - -PHYS.—Amongst them, I prefer the char, which, I think, is even better -than the best fresh salmon I ever tasted. - -POIET.—This char is surprisingly red and full of curd; I wonder at its -fat: It comes from the Grundtl See, which is a high Alpine lake, covered -with ice more than half the year: what food can the fish find in so pure -and cold a water? - -HAL.—Minnows and small chubs are found in this lake; and the flies which -haunt it in summer have been aquatic larvæ in the autumn, winter, and -spring; and there are usually great quantities of small shell fish, -which live in the deeper parts of this water; so that char may find food -even in winter; and cold, or the repose to which it leads, seems -favourable to the development or conservation of fat. Most of the polar -animals (the whale, moose, seal, and white bear, for instance) are -loaded with this substance; and the salmon of the Arctic Ocean are -remarkable for their quantity of curd: those that run up the rivers in -Russia from the White Sea are said to be fatter and better, than those -caught in the streams which run into the Baltic. - -ORN.—I agree with Physicus in his praise of the char: we are indebted to -you for an excellent entertainment. - -HAL.—At Lintz, on the Danube, I could have given you a fish dinner of a -different description, which you might have liked as a variety. The four -kinds of perch, the _spiegel carpfen_, and the _siluris glanis_; all -good fish, and which I am sorry we have not in England, where I doubt -not they might be easily naturalized, and they would form an admirable -addition to the table in inland counties. Since England has become -Protestant, the cultivation of fresh water fish has been much neglected. -The _burbot_, or lotte, which already exists in some of the streams -tributary to the Trent, and which is a most admirable fish, might be -diffused without much difficulty; and nothing could be more easy than to -naturalize the _spiegel carpfen_ and _siluris_; and I see no reason why -the _perca lucio perca_ and _zingel_ should not succeed in some of our -clear lakes and ponds, which abound in coarse fish. The new Zoölogical -Society, I hope, will attempt something of this kind; and it will be a -better object than introducing birds and beast of prey—though I have no -objection to any source of rational amusement or philosophical -curiosity. - -POIET.—A fish dinner such as you have just described, combined with one -such as we have enjoyed to-day, might, I think, be made an interesting -experimental lecture on natural history. The analogies of the different -species and genera of fishes, so distinct in the form of their organs, -are likewise marked in the appearance and taste of their flesh. The -salmon and the char may be regarded as the generic types of the salmo. -By trout, which have sometimes red and sometimes white flesh, they are -connected with the grayling and hucho. By the grayling the trout is -connected with the laveret, and by the laveret the genus salmo is -connected with the carp genus. The char is immediately connected with -the grayling, and laveret by the umbula. By the sea trout the salmon is -connected with the trout; and by the hucho, with the pike and perch -families. - -HAL.—We will arrange a dinner of this kind in England, and by means of -it follow the analogies of salt and fresh water fishes. But the time for -our parting is almost arrived.—Let us drink a glass each of this old -wine of the Danube to our next happy meeting, and go and take a last -look of the Fall of Traun, whilst our carriages are preparing. - - -[_They walk to the rock above the Fall of the Traun._] - - -HAL.—See, the cataract is now in great beauty; the river above is -coloured by the setting sun, and the glow of the rosy light on the upper -stream is beautifully and wonderfully contrasted with the tints of the -cataract below. Have you ever seen any thing so fine? - -POIET.—The lights are beautiful; but I have certainly seen a finer -combination of features in the Fall of the Velino, at Terni, though that -water is not clear; but, even with this defect, it is certainly the most -perfect of European falls. This cascade of the Traun, though not so -elevated as that of Terni, and not so large as that of Schaffhausen, -yet, from its perfect clearness, and the harmony of the surrounding -objects, ranks high, as to picturesque effect, amongst the waterfalls of -Europe; and the wonderful transparency of its pale-green water gives it -a peculiar charm in my eyes, enhanced as it is now by the light of the -glowing western sky; and the tints of the quadrant iris on its spray are -not brighter than those of its stream and foam. - -ORN.—We have now followed this water at least thirty miles, and wherever -we have seen it, it has always displayed the same characters of -clearness and rapidity—of green stream and white foam; and we have -traced it from the snowy mountains of Styria to the plains of Upper -Austria, where it serves to purify the darker Danube. How is it, that it -has preserved its transparency, though so many of its tributary streams -have been foul, either from the thunder storm, or from the sudden -melting of snows? - -HAL.—The three small lakes and the two larger ones, which are in fact -its reservoirs, are the cause of this. The Gründtl See furnishes its -principal stream, and this lake is fed by two others—Töplitz See and -Lahngen See; and the tributary streams, which unite at Aussee, from -Alten Aussee and Oden See, though one is blue and the other yellow, yet -combine to give a tint, which is nearly the same as that from the stream -of the Gründtl See, and which the river retains throughout its course -Yet I have seen even this river very foul, but only in a part of its -course, below Ischel. I was once at that place, when the thunder storm -of a night having washed the dust of the roads into the river, it was -extremely turbid from Ischel to the Traun See. It rendered the upper -part of this large lake coloured; but, notwithstanding this, the river -came from the lower part of it perfectly clear, and I caught fish in it -there with a fly, which, at its entrance into the lake was quite -impossible. - -POIET.—You, Halieus, must certainly have considered the _causes_ which -produce the colours of waters. The streams of our own island are of a -very different colour from these mountain rivers, and why should the -same element or substance assume such a variety of tints? - -HAL.—I certainly have often thought upon the subject, and I have made -some observations and _one_ experiment in relation to it. I will give -you my opinion with pleasure, and, as far as I know, they have not been -brought forward in any of the works on the properties of water, or on -its consideration as a chemical element. The purest water with which we -are acquainted is undoubtedly that which falls from the atmosphere. -Having touched air alone, it can contain nothing but what it gains from -the atmosphere, and it is distilled without the chance of those -impurities, which may exist in the vessels used in an artificial -operation. We cannot well examine the water precipitated from the -atmosphere, as rain, without collecting it in vessels, and all -artificial contact gives more or less of contamination; but in snow, -melted by the sunbeams, that has fallen on glaciers, themselves formed -from frozen snow, water may be regarded as in its state of greatest -purity. Congelation expels both salts and air from water, whether -existing below, or formed in, the atmosphere; and in the high and -uninhabited regions of glaciers, there can scarcely be any substances to -contaminate. Removed from animal and vegetable life, they are even above -the mineral kingdom; and though there are instances in which the rudest -kind of vegetation (of the fungus or mucor kind) is even found upon -snows, yet this is a rare occurrence; and red snow, which is occasioned -by it, is an extraordinary and not a common phenomenon towards the pole, -and on the highest mountains of the globe. Having examined the water -formed from melted snow on glaciers in different parts of the Alps, and -having always found it of the same quality, I shall consider it as pure -water, and describe its characters. Its colour, when it has any depth, -or when a mass of it is seen through, is bright blue; and, according to -its greater or less depth of substance, it has more or less of this -colour: as its insipidity, and its other physical qualities, are not at -this moment objects of your inquiry, I shall not dwell upon them. In -general, in examining lakes and masses of water in high mountains, their -colour is of the same bright azure. And Captain Parry states, that the -water on the Polar ice has the like beautiful tint. When vegetables grow -in lakes, the colour becomes nearer the sea green, and as the quantity -of impregnation from their decay increases—greener, yellowish green, and -at length, when the vegetable extract is large in quantity—as in -countries where peat is found—yellow, and even brown. To mention -instances, the Lake of Geneva, fed from sources (particularly the higher -Rhone) formed from melting snow, is blue; and the Rhone pours from it, -dyed of the deepest azure, and retains partially this colour till it is -joined by the Soane, which gives to it a greener hue. The Lake of Morat, -on the contrary, which is fed from a lower country, and from less pure -sources, is grass green. And there is an illustrative instance in some -small lakes fed from the same source, in the road from Inspruck to -Stutgard, which I observed in 1815 (as well as I recollect) between -Nazareit and Reiti. The highest lake fed by melted snows in March, when -I saw it, was bright blue. It discharged itself by a small stream into -another, into which a number of large pines had been blown by a winter -storm, or fallen from some other cause: in this lake its colour was blue -green. In a third lake, in which there were not only pines and their -branches, but likewise other decaying vegetable matter, it had a tint of -faded grass green; and these changes had occurred in a space not much -more than a mile in length. These observations I made in 1815: on -returning to the same spot twelve years after, in August and September, -I found the character of the lakes entirely changed. The pine wood -washed into the second lake had disappeared; a large quantity of stones -and gravel, washed down by torrents, or detached by an avalanche, -supplied their place: there was no perceptible difference of tint in the -two upper lakes; but the lower one, where there was still some vegetable -matter, seemed to possess a greener hue. The same principle will apply -to the Scotch and Irish rivers, which, when they rise or issue from pure -rocky sources, are blue, or bluish green; and when fed from peat bogs, -or alluvial countries, yellow, or amber-coloured, or brown—even after -they have deposited a part of their impurities in great lakes. -Sometimes, though rarely, mineral impregnations give colour to water: -small streams are sometimes green or yellow from ferruginous -depositions. Calcareous matters seldom affect their colour, but often -their transparency, when deposited, as is the case with the Velino at -Terni, and the Anio at Trivoli; but I doubt if pure saline matters, -which are in themselves white, ever change the tint of water. - -ORN.—On what then does the tint of the ocean depend, which has itself -given name to a colour? - -HAL.—I think probably on vegetable matter, and, perhaps, partially, on -two elementary principles, iodine and brome, which it certainly -contains, though these are possibly the results of decayed marine -vegetables. These give a yellow tint, when dissolved in minute portions -in water, and this, mixed with the blue of pure water, would occasion -sea green. I made, many years ago, being on the _Mer de Glace_, an -experiment on this subject. I threw a small quantity of iodine, a -substance then recently discovered, into one of those deep blue basins -of water, which are so frequent on that glacier, and, diffusing it as it -dissolved with a stick, I saw the water change first to sea green in -colour, then to grass green, and lastly to yellowish green: I do not, -however, give this as a proof, but only as a fact favourable to my -conjecture. - -POIET.—It appears to me to confirm your view of the subject, that snow -and ice, which are merely pure crystallized water, are always blue, when -seen by transmitted light. I have often admired the deep azure in -crevices in masses of snow in severe winters, and the same colour in the -glaciers of Switzerland, particularly at the arch where the Arve issues, -in the Valley of Chamouni. We thank you for your illustration. - -HAL.—In return, I ask you for some further remarks on this grand -waterfall. You said just now, you preferred the fall of the Velino for -picturesque effect to any other waterfall you have seen; yet it is a -small river compared even with the Traun, and nothing compared with the -Gotha, the Rhine, or, above all, the Glommen. - -POIET.—Size is merely comparative: I prefer the fall of the Velino, -because its parts are in harmony. It displays all the force and power of -the element, in its rapid and precipitous descent, and you feel, that -even man would be nothing in its waves, and would be dashed to pieces by -its force. The whole scene is embraced at once by the eye, and the -effect is almost as sublime as that of the Glommen, where the river is -at least one hundred times as large; for the Glommen falls, as it were, -from a whole valley upon a mountain of granite, and unless where you see -the giant pines of Norway, fifty or sixty feet in height, carried down -by it and swimming in its whirlpools like straws, you have no idea of -its magnitude and power: yet still, I think, considering it in all its -relations, this is the most awful fall of water I have seen, as that of -Velino is the most perfect and beautiful. I am not sure, that I ought -not to place the fall of the Gotha above that of the Rhine, both for -variety of effect and beauty; and the river, in my opinion, is quite as -large, and the colour of the water quite as beautiful. - -HAL.—But our horses are ready, and the time of separation arrives. I -trust we shall all have a happy meeting in England in the winter. I have -made you idlers at home and abroad, but I hope to some purpose; and, I -trust, you will confess the time bestowed upon angling has not been -thrown away. The most important principle perhaps in life is to have a -pursuit—a useful one if possible, and at all events an innocent one. And -the scenes you have enjoyed—the contemplations to which they have led, -and the exercise in which we have indulged, have, I am sure, been very -salutary to the body, and, I hope, to the mind. I have always found a -peculiar effect from this kind of life; it has appeared to bring me back -to early times and feelings, and to create again the hopes and happiness -of youthful days. - -PHYS.—I felt something like what you described, and were I convinced -that in the cultivation of the amusement, these feelings would increase, -I would devote myself to it with passion; but, I fear, in my case this -is impossible. Ah! could I recover any thing like that freshness of -mind, which I possessed at twenty-five, and which, like the dew of the -dawning morning, covered all objects and nourished all things that grew, -and in which they were more beautiful even than in mid-day -sunshine,—what would I not give!—All that I have gained in an active and -not unprofitable life. How well I remember that delightful season, when, -full of power, I sought for power in others; and power was sympathy, and -sympathy power;—when the dead and the unknown, the great of other ages -and of distant places, were made, by the force of the imagination, my -companions and friends;—when every voice seemed one of praise and love; -when every flower had the bloom and odour of the rose; and every spray -or plant seemed either the poet’s laurel, or the civic oak—which -appeared to offer themselves as wreaths to adorn my throbbing brow. But, -alas! this cannot be; and even you cannot have _two springs_ in -life—though I have no doubt you have fishing days, in which the feelings -of youth return, and that your autumn has a more _vernal_ character than -mine. - -POIET.—I do not think Halieus had ever any season, except a perpetual -and gentle spring; for the tones of his mind have been always so quiet, -it has been so little scorched by sunshine, and so little shaken by -winds, that, I think, it may be compared to that sempivernal climate -fabled of the Hesperides, where the same trees produced at once buds, -leaves, blossoms, and fruits. - -HAL.—Nay, my friends! spare me a little, spare my gray hairs. I have not -perhaps abused my youth so much as some of my friends, but all things -that you have known, I have known; and if I have not been so much -scorched by the passions from which so many of my acquaintances have -suffered, I owe it rather to the constant employment of a laborious -profession, and to the exertions called for by the hopes, wants, and -wishes of a rising family, than to any merits of my own, either moral or -constitutional. For my health, I may thank my ancestors, after my God, -and I have not squandered what was so bountifully given; and though I do -not expect, like our arch-patriarch, Walton, to number ninety years and -upwards, yet, I hope, as long as I can enjoy in a vernal day the warmth -and light of the sunbeams, still to haunt the streams—following the -example of our late venerable friend, the President of the Royal -academy,[9] in company with whom, when he was an octogenarian, I have -thrown the fly, caught trout, and enjoyed a delightful day of angling -and social amusement, in the shady green meadows by the bright clear -streams of the Wandle. - - - - - ADDITIONAL NOTES. - - - (_On the par, page 75._) - -The author, in supposing that the par may be produced from a cross -between the river trout and the sea trout, does not mean to attach any -importance to this idea. The fish differs so little from the common -trout, that it may be questioned, whether it is not more entitled to the -character of a variety than of a species. In many rivers on the -continent, the author has seen small trout with olive or brown marks, -like those of the British par; and a friend informs him, that he has -caught fish of the same kind in the streams connected with the Lake of -Geneva. In rivers, flowing into the Danube, these small fish are very -common; but, as well as he remembers, their marks are pale, or -yellowish-brown, or olive, and not dark or blue like those of our par. -The salmon does not belong to any of these localities, but the hucho -haunts the tributary streams of the Danube. The smelts, or young of the -salmo hucho, and sea trout, and lake trout, are all distinguished by the -_uniform_ dark colour of the back, and the silvery whiteness of the -belly. He does not remember to have seen any of the streaked, or par -varieties of trout in rivers, in which there was only _one_ species, or -variety of large salmo. The mottled colour of the skin is, he thinks, -the strongest argument in favour of this little fish, being from a cross -of two varieties, or races, which may be the case, and yet the fish be -capable of breeding, and gaining this character of a peculiar variety; -and he supposes different kinds of pars may be produced by crosses of -the sea trout, the hucho, the lake trout, with the river trouts, or -perhaps of the salmon, and this would account for their great numbers, -and the various tints of the marks on their _sides_. If the hucho, as he -believes, generally spawns late in the winter, it may sometimes meet -with trout spawning at the same time. He has seen salmon and trout in -the Tweed in a similar state of maturity at the same period; and, in -1816, he remembers, that he took large female salmon, that had the -period of parturition protracted as late as March. - - - (_On the scolaphax, page 124._) - -I shall say a few words on the congeners of this bird (the solitary -snipe,) and on the three varieties so much better known in Europe. The -woodcock feeds indiscriminately upon earthworms, small beetles, and -various kinds of larvæ, and its stomach sometimes contains seeds, which -I suspect have been taken up in boring amongst the excrements of cattle; -yet the stomach of this bird has something of the gizzard character, -though not so much as that of the land-rail, which I have found half -filled with seeds of grasses, and even containing corn, mixed with -may-bugs, earth-worms, grasshoppers, and caterpillars. The woodcock, I -believe, breeds habitually only in high northern latitudes, yet there -are woods in England, particularly one in Sussex, near the borders of -Hampshire, in which one or two couple of these birds, it is said, may -always be found in summer. I suspect these woodcocks are from the -offspring of birds which had paired for their passage, but being -detained by an accident happening to one of them, staid and raised a -young brood in England, and the young ones probably had their instincts -altered by the accidents of their being born in England, and being in a -place well supplied with food. It is not improbable, that they likewise -raised young ones, and that the habit of staying has become hereditary. -There can be no doubt, that woodcocks are very constant to their local -attachments; woodcocks, that have been preserved in a particular wood -for a winter, always return to it, if possible, the next season. Many -woodcocks breed in Norway and Sweden in the great, extensive, and moist -pine woods, filled with bogs and morasses, which cover these wild -countries, but probably a still greater number breed further north, in -Lapland, Finland, Russia, and Siberia. It is I believe a fable, that -they ever raise their young habitually in the high Alpine or mountainous -countries of the central or southern parts of Europe. These countries -indeed in summer are very little fitted for their feeding; they cannot -bore where it is either dry or frosty, and the glacier, as well as the -arid sand or rock, are equally unfitted for their haunts. They leave the -north with the first frost, and travel slowly south till they come to -their accustomed winter quarters; they do not usually make a quick -voyage, but fly from wood to wood, reposing and feeding on their -journey: they prefer for their haunts, woods near marshes or morasses; -they hide themselves under thick bushes in the day, and fly abroad to -feed in the dusk of the evening. A laurel, or a holly-bush, is a -favourite place for their repose: the thick and varnished leaves of -these trees prevents the radiation of heat from the soil, and they are -less affected by the refrigerating influence of a clear sky, so that -they afford a warm seat for the woodcock. Woodcocks usually begin to fly -north on the first approach of spring, and their flights are generally -longer, and their rests fewer, at this season than in the autumn. - -In the autumn they are driven from the north to the south by the want of -food, and they stop wherever they can find food. In the spring, there is -the influence of another powerful instinct added to this, the sexual -feeling. They migrate in pairs, and pass as speedily as possible to the -place where they are likely to find food, and to raise their young, and -of which the old birds have already had the experience of former years. -Scarcely any woodcocks winter in any part of Germany. In France there -are a few found, particularly in the southern provinces, and in Normandy -and Brittany. The woods of England, especially of the west and south, -contain always a certain quantity of woodcocks, but there are far more -in the moist soil and warmer climate of Ireland; but in the woods of -southern Italy and Greece, near marshes, they are far more abundant; and -they extend in quantities over the Greek Islands, Asia Minor, and -northern Africa. - -The snipe is one of the most generally distributed birds belonging to -Europe. It feeds upon almost every kind of worm, or larvæ, and, as I -have said before, its stomach sometimes contains seeds and rice; it -prefers a country cold in the summer to breed in; but wherever there is -much fluid water, and great morasses, this bird is almost certain to be -found. Its nest is very inartificial, its eggs large, and the young ones -soon become of an enormous size, being, often before they can fly, -larger than their parents. Two young ones are usually the number in a -nest, but I have seen three. The old birds are exceedingly attached to -their offspring, and if any one approach near the nest they make a loud -and drumming noise above the head, as if to divert the attention of the -intruder. A few snipes always breed in the marshes of England and -Scotland, but a far greater number retire for this purpose to the -Hebrides and the Orkneys. In the heather surrounding a small lake in the -Island of Hoy, in the Orkneys, I found in the month of August, in 1817, -the nests of ten or twelve couple of snipes. I was grouse-shooting, and -my dog continually pointed them, and, as there were sometimes three -young ones and two old ones in the nest, the scent was very powerful. -From accident of the season these snipes were very late in being -hatched, for they usually fly before the middle of July; but this year, -even as late as the 15th of August, there were many young snipes that -had not yet their wing feathers. Snipes are usually fattest in frosty -weather, which, I believe, is owing to this, that in such weather they -haunt only warm springs, where worms are abundant, and they do not -willingly quit these places, so that they have plenty of nourishment and -rest, both circumstances favourable to fat. In wet, open weather they -are often obliged to make long flights, and their food is more -distributed. The jack-snipe feeds upon smaller insects than the snipe: -small white larvæ, such as are found in black bogs, are its favourite -food, but I have generally found seeds in its stomach, once hemp-seeds, -and always gravel. I know not where the jack-snipe breeds, but I suspect -far north. I never saw their nest or young ones in Germany, France, -Hungary, Illyria, or the British Islands. The common snipe breeds in -great quantities in the extensive marshes of Hungary and Illyria; but I -do not think the jack-snipe breeds there, for, even in July and August, -with the first very dry weather, many snipes, with ducks and teal, come -into the marshes in the south of Illyria, but the jack-snipe is always -later in its passage, later even than the double-snipe, or the woodcock. -In 1828, in the drains about Laybach, in Illyria, common snipes were -seen in the middle of July. The first double snipes appeared the first -week in September, when likewise woodcocks were seen; the first -jack-snipe did not appear till three weeks later than the 29th of -September. I was informed at Copenhagen, that the jack-snipe certainly -breeds in Zealand, and I saw a nest with its eggs, said to be from the -island of Sandholm, opposite Copenhagen, and I have no doubt that this -bird and the double-snipe sometimes make their nests in the marshes of -Holstein and Hanover. An excellent sportsman and good observer informs -me, that, in the great royal decoy, or marsh-preserve, near Hanover, he -has had ocular proofs of double-snipes being raised from the nest there; -but these birds require solitude and perfect quiet, and, as their food -is peculiar, they demand a great extent of marshy meadow. Their stomach -is the thinnest amongst birds of the scolopax tribe, and, as I have said -before, their food seems to be entirely the larvæ of the tibulæ, or -_congenerous_ flies. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -Footnote 1: - - From Don Juan, Canto XII. Stanza CVI. - - “And Angling, too, that solitary vice, - Whatever Isaac Walton sings or says: - The quaint old cruel coxcomb in his gullet - Should have a hook and a small trout to pull it.” - -Footnote 2: - - The Friend, page 303, by S. T. Coleridge. - -Footnote 3: - - I have known a person who fished with him at Merton, in the Wandle. I - hope this circumstance will be mentioned in the next edition of that - most exquisite and touching Life of our Hero, by the Laureate, an - immortal monument raised by Genius to Valour. - -Footnote 4: - - I have known the number of spines in the pectoral fins different, in - different varieties of trout; I have seen them 12, 13, and 14: but the - anal fin always, I believe, contains 11 spines, the dorsal 12 or 13, - the ventral 9, and the caudal 21. The smallest brook trout, when well - and copiously fed, will increase in stews to four or five pounds in - weight, but never attains the size or characters of lake trout. - - Mr. Tonkin of Polgaron put some small river trout, 2½ inches in - length, into a newly-made pond. He took some of these out the second - year, and they were above 12 inches in length; the third year, he took - one out that was 16 inches; and the fourth year, one of 25 inches: - this was in 1734. (_Carew’s Survey of Cornwall_, p. 87. Lord de - Dunstanville’s edition.) - -Footnote 5: - - From the food, and the remains of food, found in the stomach of the - double snipe, I think I have ascertained, that it requires a kind of - worm, which is not found in winter even in the temperate climes of - Europe; and that it feeds differently from the snipe. There are - certainly none found after the end of October in either Illyria or - Italy; and I believe the same may be said of the end of May, as to - their summer migration, or their breeding migration. I have opened the - stomachs of at least a dozen of these birds, and their contents were - always of the same kind, long slender white hexapode larvæ, or their - skins, of different sizes, from that of the maggot of the horse-fly to - one thrice as long. I believe all these insects were the larvæ of - tibulæ of different species. In the stomach of the common snipe, which - is stronger and larger, I have generally found earth-worms, and often - seeds, and rice, and gravel. I conjecture, that, in the temperate - climates of Europe, most of the aquatic larvæ on which the solitary - snipe feeds are converted into flies in the late spring and autumn, - which probably limits the period of their migration. In 1827 the - solitary snipe passed through Italy and Illyria between the 15th of - March and the 6th of May. I heard of the first at Ravenna the 17th of - March, and I shot two near Laybach on the 5th of May; but though I was - continually searching for them for a fortnight after, I found no more. - This year they returned from the north early; and I saw some in the - marshes of Illyria on the 19th of August. In 1828 they were later in - their vernal passage, and likewise in their return. I found them in - Illyria through May, as late as the 17th, on which day I shot three, - and they did not re-appear till the beginning of September. I found - one on the 3d, and three on the 4th, and twenty were shot on the 7th. - - As this bird is rarely seen in England, I shall mention its - peculiarities. It is more than one-third larger than the common snipe, - and has a breast spotted with gray feathers. Its beak is shorter than - that of the snipe; the old ones have feathers almost pure white in - their tails, and as they spread them when rising, they are easily - distinguished by this character from the snipe; but in the young birds - that I have seen in August, this character was wanting. They are - usually very fat, particularly the young birds; their weight varies - from six to nine ounces; but even the fattest ones are rarely above - seven ounces and a half; and though I have killed more than a hundred, - I can speak of half-a-dozen only that weighed above eight ounces and a - half. In spring they are usually found in pairs, the female being - rather larger, and having a paler breast: in autumn they are solitary. - They prefer wet meadows to bogs, or large, deep marshes. They usually - lie closer than snipes, and seldom fly far. Their flight is straight, - like that of a jack snipe, and they are easily shot. - - Attention to the migrations of birds might, I have no doubt, lead to - important indications respecting the character and changes of the - weather and the seasons. The late migration of the solitary snipe this - year (1828) seems to have been an indication of a wet and backward - summer in the north of Europe. But to form opinions upon facts of this - kind requires much knowledge and caution. The perfection of the larvæ - of the tibulæ on which this snipe feeds depends upon a number of - circumstances: the temperature of the last year; the period when the - eggs were laid; the heat of the water when they were deposited, and - the quantity of rain since. The migration of the solitary snipe is - only one link in a great chain of causes and effects, all connected, - and extending from Africa to Siberia. - -Footnote 6: - - _Lax_ is the Teutonic word for salmon. - -Footnote 7: - - I may mention one remarkable instance as an exception, which has - recently occurred to me, the 21st of May, 1828. I was fishing in the - Save, between Wochain and Veldes, in some deep, clear, bright, green - pools. I caught five or six grayling between 15 and 17 inches long, - that had all leeches near the tail; they were beautifully coloured, - and had probably got these parasitic animals after their spawning, - when they reposed. Of course this was the time when they were in their - worst season, as they were just beginning to recover from the work of - generation. At this time they often rose at and refused the fly, but - there were as yet no large flies on the water. The leech was a small - greenish dark worm, about an inch or an inch and a half long, like a - common leech in form and colour. - -Footnote 8: - - Sälmling of the Germans. - -Footnote 9: - - Benjamin West. - - - - - Transcriber’s Notes - - -Some presumed printer’s errors have been corrected, including -normalizing punctuation and capitalization. Inconsistent spelling and -hyphenation has been left as printed unless specifically noted below. In -the original book, some fractions were printed in the form 1 1-2 and -others in the form 1½. These have all been normalized to the form 1½. An -incorrect page number in the Table of Contents has been changed. Further -corrections are listed below. - - p. x hy -> by - p. 33 he May-fly -> the May-fly - p. 35 this river it -> this river is - p. 43 knats -> gnats - p. 62 autumual -> autumnal - p. 63 antumn -> autumn - p. 63 tepemrature -> temperature - p. 65 Wandel -> Wandle - p. 80 as it mere -> as it were - p. 135 lttle -> little - p. 137 thar -> that - p. 147 Kilmornack -> Kilmarnock - p. 150 youself -> yourself - p. 161 Phyicus -> Physicus - p. 162 orign -> origin - p. 168 eggs cannot produced -> eggs cannot produce - p. 173 I thing -> I think - p. 185 porends -> portends - p. 187 sea-guls -> sea-gulls - p. 192 comfort’s -> comforts - p. 193 seemes -> seems - p. 196 graying -> grayling - p. 197 Noric -> Nordic - p. 218 abtruse -> abstruse - p. 226 the all of water -> the fall of water - p. 231 accquainted -> acquainted - p. 231 were the eggs are hatched -> where the eggs are hatched - p. 232 purpose of of -> purpose of - p. 253 pursue their pray -> pursue their prey - p. 253 Kliengraben -> Kleingraben - p. 258 carniverous -> carnivorous - p. 260 Daunbe -> Danube - p. 262 pply -> apply - p. 267 immagined -> imagined - p. 272 flyfishing -> fly-fishing - p. 279 coarest -> coarsest - p. 286 vermillion -> vermilion - p. 293 morse -> moose - p. 303 picturesqe -> picturesque - p. 307 consitutional -> constitutional - p. 310 wood cocks -> woodcocks - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Salmonia, by Humphrey Davy - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SALMONIA *** - -***** This file should be named 50944-0.txt or 50944-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/0/9/4/50944/ - -Produced by Sonya Schermann and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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} - .c014 { text-indent: 0; margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.2em; } - .c015 { border: none; border-bottom: thin solid; margin-top: 0.8em; - margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 35%; margin-right: 35%; width: 30%; } - .c016 { margin-top: 1em; text-indent: 1em; margin-bottom: 0.2em; } - .tnotes { border:thin solid black; margin:2em; padding:2em; } - </style> - </head> - <body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Salmonia, by Humphrey Davy - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - -Title: Salmonia - Days of Fly Fishing - -Author: Humphrey Davy - -Release Date: January 17, 2016 [EBook #50944] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SALMONIA *** - - - - -Produced by Sonya Schermann and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_i'>i</span> - <h1 class='c000'><span class='xlarge'>SALMONIA:</span><br /> <br />OR<br /> <br /><span class='xlarge'>DAYS OF FLY FISHING.</span></h1> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c001'> - <div>IN</div> - <div class='c001'>A SERIES OF CONVERSATIONS.</div> - <div class='c001'>WITH</div> - <div class='c001'>SOME ACCOUNT OF THE HABITS OF FISHES BELONGING</div> - <div>TO THE GENUS SALMO.</div> - <div class='c001'>BY AN ANGLER.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>——“Equidem credo quia sit divinitus illis Ingenium.”</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>FIRST AMERICAN FROM THE SECOND LONDON EDITION.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c003'> - <div>PHILADELPHIA:</div> - <div>CAREY AND LEA—CHESNUT STREET.</div> - <div>........</div> - <div>1832.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div><span class='pageno' id='Page_ii'>ii</span>E. MERRIAM AND CO. PRINTERS,</div> - <div>Brookfield, Mass.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c003'> - <div><span class='pageno' id='Page_iii'>iii</span>TO</div> - <div class='c001'>WILLIAM BABINGTON,</div> - <div class='c001'>M.D. F.R.S.</div> - <div class='c001'>THESE CONVERSATIONS ARE DEDICATED,</div> - <div class='c001'>IN REMEMBRANCE</div> - <div class='c001'>OF SOME DELIGHTFUL DAYS PASSED IN HIS</div> - <div class='c001'>SOCIETY,</div> - <div class='c001'>AND IN GRATITUDE</div> - <div class='c001'>FOR AN UNINTERRUPTED FRIENDSHIP OF</div> - <div class='c001'>A</div> - <div class='c001'>QUARTER OF A CENTURY.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_iv'>iv</span> - <h2 class='c004'>PREFACE.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c005'><span class='sc'>These</span> pages formed the occupation of the -Author during some months of severe and -dangerous illness, when he was wholly incapable -of attending to more useful studies, -or of following more serious pursuits. They -constituted his amusement in many hours, -which otherwise would have been unoccupied -and tedious; and they are published in -the hope, that they may possess an interest -for those persons, who derive pleasure from -the simplest and most attainable kind of -rural sports, and who practice the art, or -patronize the objects of contemplation, of -the Philosophical Angler.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_vi'>vi</span>The conversational manner and discursive -style were chosen as best suited to the state -of health of the Author, who was incapable -of considerable efforts and long-continued attention; -and he could not but have in mind -a model, which has fully proved the utility -and popularity of this method of treating -the subject—<cite>The Complete Angler</cite>, by Walton -and Cotton.</p> - -<p class='c006'>The characters, chosen to support these -Conversations, are—<span class='sc'>Halieus</span>, who is supposed -to be an accomplished fly fisher; -<span class='sc'>Ornither</span>, who is to be regarded as a gentleman -generally fond of the sports of the -field, though not a finished master of the -art of angling; <span class='sc'>Poietes</span>, who is to be considered -as an enthusiastic lover of nature, -and partially acquainted with the mysteries -of fly fishing; and <span class='sc'>Physicus</span>, who is described -uninitiated as an angler, but as a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_vii'>vii</span>person fond of inquiries in natural history -and philosophy.</p> - -<p class='c006'>These personages are of course imaginary, -though the sentiments attributed to them, the -Author may sometimes have gained from recollections -of real conversations with friends, -from whose society much of the happiness of -his early life has been derived; and in the -portrait of the character of <span class='sc'>Halieus</span>, given -in the last dialogue, a likeness, he thinks, -will not fail to be recognized to that of the -character of a most estimable Physician, ardently -beloved by his friends, and esteemed -and venerated by the public.</p> - -<p class='c006'>He has limited his description of fish to -the varieties of the Salmo most usual in the -fresh waters of Europe, and which may -be defined as a genus having eight fins, -the one above the tail fleshy, and without -spines.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_viii'>viii</span>It is to be hoped M. Cuvier’s new work -on fishes will supply accurate information -on this genus, which is still very imperfectly -known.</p> - -<div class='lg-container-l c007'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'><i>Laybach, Illyria,</i></div> - <div class='line in2'><i>Sep. 30, 1828.</i></div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_ix'>ix</span> - <h2 class='c004'>CONTENTS.</h2> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>FIRST DAY.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c008'>Vindication of fly-fishing—Poem in praise of Walton—Distinguished -anglers—Fishing, a natural, philosophical, and -scientific pursuit—Scenery—Fish possessed of little sensibility—Praise -of fly-fishing—Field-sports related to natural -history—Proposed fishing excursion—Comparison of -a river to human life</p> -<div class='c009'>Page <a href='#Page_13'>13-29</a></div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div>SECOND DAY.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c008'>Trout fishing—Flies—May-fly and gray drake—Alder fly—Object -of fishing—Escape of a fish after being hooked—Sense -of smelling in fish—Baits—The natural fly—Pricked -trout—Local habits of animals—Trout of the Colne—Throwing -the fly—Trout described—Spots on trout—Perch—Anecdote—Haunts -of trout—Evening fishing—Management of -a fish when hooked—Flies of different seasons—Fishing season—Difference -of the gillaroo from trout—Diminution of -flies in some rivers—Gillaroo trout found only in Ireland—Par -or samlet—Other varieties of trout—Dr. Darwin—Experiment -<span class='pageno' id='Page_x'>x</span>on trout by Mr. Tonkin of Polgaron—Cause of the -varieties of trout—Mule fish—Crossing the breed—Impregnation -of the ova of fish—Experiment of Mr. Jacobi on this -point—Causes that hasten or retard the maturity of the ova—Why -fish approach shallows to spawn—Admiration of the -designs of Providence</p> -<div class='c009'><a href='#Page_30'>30-91</a></div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div>THIRD DAY.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c008'>Morning fishing—Effect of shadows in fishing—Anecdotes illustrating -the effect of sunshine—Swallows</p> -<div class='c009'><a href='#Page_92'>92-98</a></div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div>FOURTH DAY.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c008'>Scenery—Loch Maree—Eagles—The inn—The river Ewe—Sea -trout—Poaching highlander—Salmon—Cause of fish being -drowned—Salmon—Death <a id='by'></a>by suffocation—Nature of -pain—Instances of death without pain—Sea trout—Crimping—The -dinner—The double snipe—Value of temperance -in eating and drinking—Wading in boots a bad practice—Salmon -and trout compared—Varieties of salmon</p> -<div class='c009'><a href='#Page_99'>99-132</a></div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div>FIFTH DAY.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c008'>Salmon fishing—Produce of a morning’s sport—Rivers of -Norway and Sweden—English rivers—Salmon rivers—Scotch -rivers—Irish rivers—The Sabbath day—Instincts—Instincts -to animals what revelation is to man</p> -<div class='c009'><a href='#Page_133'>133-170</a></div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div><span class='pageno' id='Page_xi'>xi</span>SIXTH DAY.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c008'>Flies—Hooks—Salmon of the Ewe—Sense of smelling in animals—Salmon -fishing with pars—Food of Salmon—Indications -of rainy weather—Omens</p> -<div class='c009'><a href='#Page_171'>171-191</a></div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div>SEVENTH DAY.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c008'>Grayling—Anatomy of the grayling—Grayling fishing—Scenery—Habits -of the grayling—Grayling rivers—Baits -for grayling—Generation of eels—Migration of eels—The -conger eel</p> -<div class='c009'><a href='#Page_192'>192-225</a></div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div>EIGHTH DAY.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c008'>Scenery—Natural history—Origin of the common house fly—Bees -and ants—The libellula—Ephemeræ—Michaelmas -daisy—Humble bee—Thoughts on death, suggested by this -insect</p> -<div class='c009'><a href='#Page_226'>226-243</a></div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div>NINTH DAY.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c008'>Fishing for hucho—Hereditary instinct—Causes of variety in -trout—Salmo hucho—Taking a salmo hucho—Resemblance -of the hucho to trout—Interior of the hucho examined—Habits -of the hucho—Pleasure of angling—Cockney fishermen—Lame -boy and his boats—Amusements—Sea serpent—Kraken—Mermaid—Austrian -method of conveying -fish—Education—The press—Effect of continuous fishing—Difference -<span class='pageno' id='Page_xii'>xii</span>of rivers—Angling for frogs—Water ouzel—Umbla—Laveret—Organization -of the hucho—Craniology—Fat -and flesh of the hucho—Naturalization of fish—The -Traun—Colour of water—Colour of the ocean—Waterfalls—Reflections—The -late Mr. B. West</p> -<div class='c009'><a href='#Page_245'>245-308</a></div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div>ADDITIONAL NOTES.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c008'>Estimable mention of Dr. Wollaston—On the supposed cross -breed of the par—On the scolopax</p> -<div class='c009'><a href='#Page_309'>309</a></div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c003'> - <div><span class='pageno' id='Page_13'>13</span><b><span class='xlarge'>SALMONIA:</span></b></div> - <div class='c001'>OR,</div> - <div class='c001'><span class='large'>DAYS OF FLY FISHING.</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 class='c004'>FIRST DAY.<br /> <br />HALIEUS—POIETES—PHYSICUS—ORNITHER.<br /> <br />INTRODUCTORY CONVERSATION—SYMPOSIAC.</h2> -</div> - -<h3 class='c010'><i>Scene, London.</i></h3> - -<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—<span class='sc'>Halieus</span>, I dare say you know where -this excellent trout was caught: I never ate a -better fish of the kind.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I ought to know, as it was this morning -in the waters of the Wandle, not ten miles -from the place where we sit, and it is through -my means that you see it at table.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—Of your own catching?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Yes, with the artificial fly.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_14'>14</span><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I admire the fish, but I cannot -admire the art by which it was taken; and I -wonder how a man of your active mind and -enthusiastic character can enjoy what appears -to me a stupid and melancholy occupation.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I might as well wonder in my turn, -that a man of your discursive imagination and -disposition to contemplation should not admire -this occupation, and that you should venture to -call it either stupid or melancholy.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I have at least the authority of a -great moralist, Johnson, for its folly.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I will allow no man, however great -a philosopher, or moralist, to abuse an occupation -he has not tried; and as well as I remember, -this same illustrious person praised -the book and the character of the great Patriarch -of Anglers, Isaac Walton.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—There is another celebrated man, -however, who has abused this your patriarch, -Lord Byron, and that in terms not very qualified. -He calls him, as well as I can recollect, -“A quaint old cruel coxcomb.”<a id='r1' /><a href='#f1' class='c012'><sup>[1]</sup></a> I must say, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_15'>15</span>a practice of this great fisherman, where he -recommends you to pass the hook through the -body of a frog with care, as though you loved -him, in order to keep him alive longer, cannot -but be considered as cruel.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I do not justify either the expression -or the practice of Walton in this instance; but -remember, <em>I</em> fish only with inanimate baits, or -imitations of them, and I will not exhume or -expose the ashes of the dead, nor vindicate the -memory of Walton, at the expense of Byron, -who, like Johnson, was no fisherman: but the -moral and religious habits of Walton, his simplicity -of manners, and his well-spent life, exonerate -him from the charge of cruelty; and -the book of a coxcomb would not have been -so great a favourite with most persons of refined -taste. A noble lady, long distinguished -at court for pre-eminent beauty and grace, and -whose mind possesses undying charms, has -written some lines in my copy of Walton, -which, if you will allow me, I will repeat to -you.</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>Albeit, gentle Angler, I</div> - <div class='line in2'>Delight not in thy trade,</div> - <div class='line'>Yet in thy pages there doth lie</div> - <div class='line'>So much of quaint simplicity,</div> - <div class='line in4'><span class='pageno' id='Page_16'>16</span>So much of mind,</div> - <div class='line in4'>Of such good kind,</div> - <div class='line in2'>That none need be afraid,</div> - <div class='line'>Caught by thy cunning bait, this book,</div> - <div class='line'>To be ensnared on thy hook.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>Gladly from thee, I’m lured to bear</div> - <div class='line in2'>With things that seem’d most vile before,</div> - <div class='line'>For thou didst on poor subjects rear</div> - <div class='line'>Matter the wisest sage might hear.</div> - <div class='line in4'>And with a grace,</div> - <div class='line in4'>That doth efface</div> - <div class='line in2'>More labour’d works, thy simple lore</div> - <div class='line'>Can teach us that thy skilful <em>lines</em>,</div> - <div class='line'>More than the scaly brood <em>confines</em>.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>Our hearts and senses, too, we see,</div> - <div class='line in2'>Rise quickly at thy master hand,</div> - <div class='line'>And, ready to be caught by thee,</div> - <div class='line'>Are lured to virtue willingly.</div> - <div class='line in4'>Content and peace,</div> - <div class='line in4'>With health and ease,</div> - <div class='line in2'>Walk by thy side. At thy command</div> - <div class='line'>We bid adieu to worldly care,</div> - <div class='line'>And joy in gifts that all may share.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>Gladly, with thee, I pace along,</div> - <div class='line in2'>And of sweet fancies dream;</div> - <div class='line'>Waiting till some inspired song,</div> - <div class='line'>Within my memory cherish’d long,</div> - <div class='line in4'>Comes fairer forth,</div> - <div class='line in4'>With more of worth;</div> - <div class='line in2'>Because that time upon its stream</div> - <div class='line'>Feathers and chaff will bear away,</div> - <div class='line'>But give to gems a brighter ray.</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='c013'>C. C. 1812.</div> - -<p class='c014'><span class='pageno' id='Page_17'>17</span>And though the charming and intellectual author -of this poem is not an angler herself, yet I -can quote the example of her lovely daughters to -vindicate fly fishing from the charge of cruelty, -and to prove that the most delicate and refined -minds can take pleasure in this innocent amusement. -One of these young ladies, I am told, -is a most accomplished and skilful salmon -fisher. And if you require a poetical authority -against that of Lord Byron, I mention the -philosophical and powerful poet of the lakes, and -the author of</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line in8'>“An Orphic tale indeed,</div> - <div class='line'>A tale divine, of high and passionate thoughts,</div> - <div class='line'>To their own music chanted;”<a id='r2' /><a href='#f2' class='c012'><sup>[2]</sup></a></div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c014'>who is a lover both of fly fishing and fly fishermen. -Gay’s poem you know, and his passionate -fondness for the amusement, which was his -principal occupation in the summer at Amesbury; -and the late excellent John Tobin, author -of the Honey Moon, was an ardent angler.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I am satisfied with your poetical -authorities.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Nay, I can find authorities of all -<span class='pageno' id='Page_18'>18</span>kinds, statesmen, heroes, and philosophers; -I can go back to Trajan, who was fond of -angling. Nelson was<a id='r3' /><a href='#f3' class='c012'><sup>[3]</sup></a> a good fly fisher, and -as a proof of his passion for it, continued the -pursuit even with his left hand. Dr. Paley -was ardently attached to this amusement; so -much so, that when the Bishop of Durham inquired -of him, when one of his most important -works would be finished, he said, with great -simplicity and good humour, “My Lord, I shall -work steadily at it when the fly fishing season -is over,” as if this were a business of his life. -And I am rather reserved in introducing living -characters, or I could give a list of the highest -names of Britain, belonging to modern times, in -science, letters, arts, and arms, who are ornaments -of this fraternity, to use the expression -borrowed from the freemasonry of our forefathers.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I do not find much difficulty in -understanding why warriors, and even statesmen, -fishers of men, many of whom I have -<span class='pageno' id='Page_19'>19</span>known particularly fond of hunting and shooting, -should likewise be attached to angling; -but I own, I am at a loss to find reasons for a -love of this pursuit amongst philosophers and -poets.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—The search after food is an instinct -belonging to our nature; and from the savage -in his rudest and most primitive state, who -destroys a piece of game, or a fish, with a club -or spear, to man in the most cultivated state of -society, who employs artifice, machinery, and -the resources of various other animals, to -secure his object, the origin of the pleasure is -similar, and its object the same: but that kind -of it requiring most art may be said to characterize -man in his highest or intellectual -state; and the fisher for salmon and trout with -the fly employs not only machinery to assist -his physical powers, but applies sagacity to -conquer difficulties; and the pleasure derived -from ingenious resources and devices, as well -as from active pursuit, belongs to this amusement. -Then as to its philosophical tendency, -it is a pursuit of moral discipline, requiring -patience, forbearance, and command of temper. -As connected with natural science, it may be -vaunted as demanding a knowledge of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_20'>20</span>habits of a considerable tribe of created beings—fishes, -and the animals that they prey upon, -and an acquaintance with the signs and tokens -of the weather and its changes, the nature -of waters, and of the atmosphere. As to its -poetical relations, it carries us into the most -wild and beautiful scenery of nature; amongst -the mountain lakes, and the clear and lovely -streams that gush from the higher ranges of -elevated hills, or that make their way through -the cavities of calcareous strata. How delightful -in the early spring, after the dull and -tedious time of winter, when the frosts disappear -and the sunshine warms the earth and -waters, to wander forth by some clear stream, -to see the leaf bursting from the purple bud, -to scent the odours of the bank perfumed by -the violet, and enamelled, as it were, with the -primrose and the daisy; to wander upon the -fresh turf below the shade of trees, whose -bright blossoms are filled with the music of -the bee; and on the surface of the waters to -view the gaudy flies sparkling like animated -gems in the sunbeams, whilst the bright and -beautiful trout is watching them from below; -to hear the twittering of the water-birds, who, -alarmed at your approach, rapidly hide themselves -<span class='pageno' id='Page_21'>21</span>beneath the flowers and leaves of the -water-lily; and as the season advances, to find -all these objects changed for others of the -same kind, but better and brighter, till the -swallow and the trout contend as it were for -the gaudy May fly, and till in pursuing your -amusement in the calm and balmy evening, you -are serenaded by the songs of the cheerful thrush -and melodious nightingale, performing the offices -of paternal love, in thickets ornamented with the -rose and woodbine.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—All these enjoyments might be obtained -without the necessity of torturing and -destroying an unfortunate animal, that the true -lover of nature would wish to see happy in a -scene of loveliness.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—If all men were Pythagoreans and -professed the Brahmin’s creed, it would undoubtedly -be cruel to destroy any form of -animated life; but if fish are to be eaten, I -see no more harm in capturing them by skill -and ingenuity with an artificial fly, than in -pulling them out of the water by main force -with the net; and in general, when taken by -the common fishermen, fish are permitted to -die slowly, and to suffer in the air, from the -want of their natural element; whereas, every -<span class='pageno' id='Page_22'>22</span>good angler, as soon as his fish is landed, -either destroys his life immediately, if he -is wanted for food, or returns him into the -water.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—But do you think nothing of the -torture of the hook, and the fear of capture, -and the misery of struggling against the powerful -rod?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I have already admitted the danger -of analysing, too closely, the moral character -of any of our field sports; yet I think it cannot -be doubted that the nervous system of -fish, and cold-blooded animals in general, is -less sensitive than that of warm-blooded animals. -The hook usually is fixed in the cartilaginous -part of the mouth, where there are -no nerves; and a proof that the sufferings of -a hooked fish cannot be great is found in the -circumstance, that though a trout has been -hooked and played for some minutes, he will -often, after his escape with the artificial fly in -his mouth, take the natural fly, and feed as -if nothing had happened; having apparently -learnt only from the experiment, that the artificial -fly is not proper food. And I have -caught pikes with four or five hooks in their -mouths, and tackle which they had broken -<span class='pageno' id='Page_23'>23</span>only a few minutes before; and the hooks -seemed to have had no other effect than that -of serving as a sort of <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">sauce piquante</span></i>, urging -them to seize another morsel of the same kind.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—Fishes are mute, and cannot plead, -even in the way that birds and quadrupeds do, -their own cause; yet the instances you quote -only prove the intense character of their appetites, -which seem not so moderate as Whiston -imagined, in his strange philosophical romance -on the Deluge; in which he supposes, that -in the antediluvian world the heat was much -greater than in this, and that all terrestrial -and aerial animals had their passions so exalted -by this high temperature, that they were -lost in sin, and destroyed for their crimes; -but that fish, living in a cooler element, were -more correct in their lives, and were therefore -spared from the destruction of the primitive -world. You have proved, by your examples, -the intensity of the appetite of hunger in fishes; -Spalanzani has given us another proof of the -violence of a different appetite, or instinct, in -a cold-blooded animal, that has most of the -habits of the genus—the frog; which, in the -breeding season, remains attached to the female, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_24'>24</span>though a limb, or even his head, is removed from -the body.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—This is likewise in favour of my argument, -that the sensibility of this class of animals -to physical pain is comparatively small.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—The advocates for a favourite pursuit -never want sophisms to defend it. I have -even heard it asserted, that a hare enjoys -being hunted. Yet I will allow that fly-fishing, -after your vindication, appears amongst -the least cruel of field-sports;—I can go no -farther; as I have never thought of trying -it, I can say nothing of its agreeableness as -an amusement, compared with hunting and -shooting.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I wish that you would allow me to -convince you, that for a contemplative man, -as you are, and a lover of nature, it is far -superior, more tranquil, more philosophical, -and, after the period of early youth, more -fitted for a moderately active body and mind, -requiring less violent exertion; and, pursued -with discretion, affording an exercise conducive -to health. There is a river, only a -few miles off, where I am sure I could obtain -permission for you, and our friend Poietes, to -fish.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_25'>25</span><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I am open to conviction on all subjects, -and have no objection to spend one May-day -with you in this idle occupation; premising, -that you take at least one other companion, who -really loves fishing.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—You, who are so fond of natural history, -even should you not be amused by fishing, -will, I am sure, find objects of interest on the -banks of the river.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I fear I am not entomologist enough -to follow the life of the May-fly, but I shall -willingly have my attention directed to its -habits. Indeed, I have often regretted that -sportsmen were not fonder of zoology; they -have so many opportunities, which other persons -do not possess, of illustrating the origin -and qualities of some of the most curious forms -of animated nature; the causes and character -of the migrations of animals; their relations to -each other, and their place and order in the -general scheme of the universe. It has always -appeared to me, that the two great sources of -change of place of animals, was the providing -of food for themselves, and resting-places and -food for their young. The great supposed -migrations of herrings from the poles to the -temperate zone have appeared to me to be -<span class='pageno' id='Page_26'>26</span>only the approach of successive shoals from -deep to shallow water, for the purpose of -spawning. The migrations of salmon and -trout are evidently for the purpose of depositing -their ova, or of finding food after they -have spawned. Swallows, and bee-eaters, decidedly -pursue flies over half the globe; the -scolopax or snipe tribe, in like manner, search -for worms and larvæ,—flying from those countries -where either frost or dryness prevents -them from boring,—making generally small -flights at a time, and resting on their travels -where they find food. And a journey from -England to Africa is no more for an animal -that can fly, with the wind, one hundred miles -in an hour, than a journey for a Londoner to -his seat in a distant province. And the migrations -of smaller fishes or birds always occasion -the migration of larger ones, that prey -on them. Thus, the seal follows the salmon, -in summer, to the mouths of rivers; the hake -follows the herring and pilchard; hawks are -seen in great quantities, in the month of May, -coming into the east of Europe, after quails -and land-rails; and locusts are followed by numerous -birds, that, fortunately for the agriculturist, -make them their prey.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_27'>27</span><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—It is not possible to follow the -amusement of angling, without having your -attention often directed to the modes of life -of fishes, insects, and birds, and many curious -and interesting facts, as it were, forced upon -your observation. I consider you (<i>Physicus</i>), -as pledged to make one of our fishing party; -and I hope, in a few days, to give you an invitation -to meet a few worthy friends on the -banks of the Colne. And you (<i>Poietes</i>), who, -I know, are an initiated disciple of Walton’s -school, will, I trust, join us. We will endeavour -to secure a fine day; two hours, in a -light carriage with good horses, will carry us -to our ground; and I think I can promise you -green meadows, shady trees, the song of the -nightingale, and a full and clear river.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—This last is, in my opinion, the -most poetical object in nature. I will not fail -to obey your summons. Pliny has, as well as -I recollect, compared a river to human life. -I have never read the passage in his works, -but I have been a hundred times struck with -the analogy, particularly amidst mountain -scenery. The river, small and clear in its -origin, gushes forth from rocks, falls into deep -glens, and wantons and meanders through a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_28'>28</span>wild and picturesque country, nourishing only -the uncultivated tree or flower by its dew or -spray. In this, its state of infancy and youth, -it may be compared to the human mind in -which fancy and strength of imagination are -predominant—it is more beautiful than useful. -When the different rills or torrents join, and -descend into the plain, it becomes slow and -stately in its motions; it is applied to move -machinery, to irrigate meadows, and to bear -upon its bosom the stately barge;—in this -mature state, it is deep, strong, and useful. -As it flows on towards the sea, it loses its force -and its motion, and at last, as it were, becomes -lost, and mingled with the mighty abyss of waters.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—One might pursue the metaphor still -further, and say, that in its origin—its thundering -and foam, when it carries down clay from -the bank, and becomes impure, it resembles -the youthful mind, affected by dangerous passions. -And the influence of a lake, in calming -and clearing the turbid water, may be compared -to the effect of reason in more mature -life, when the tranquil, deep, cool and unimpassioned -mind is freed from its fever, its -troubles, bubbles, noise and foam. And, above -<span class='pageno' id='Page_29'>29</span>all, the sources of a river—which may be considered -as belonging to the atmosphere—and its -termination in the ocean, may be regarded as -imaging the divine origin of the human mind, -and its being ultimately returned to, and lost in, -the Infinite and Eternal Intelligence from which -it originally sprung.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_30'>30</span> - <h2 class='c004'>SECOND DAY.<br /> <br />HALIEUS—POIETES—ORNITHER—PHYSICUS.<br /> <br />TROUT FISHING, DENHAM.—MAY, 1810.</h2> -</div> - -<h3 class='c010'><i>Morning.</i></h3> - -<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—<span class='sc'>I am</span> delighted to see you, my worthy -friends, on the banks of the Colne; and am -happy to be able to say, that my excellent host -has not only made you free of the river for -this day’s angling, but insists upon your dining -with him,—wishes you to try the evening fishing, -and the fishing to-morrow morning,—and -proposes to you, in short, to give up twenty-four -hours to the delights of an angler’s May-day.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—We are deeply indebted to him; -and I hardly know how we can accept his -offer, without laying ourselves under too great -an obligation.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Fear not: he is as noble minded a -man as ever delighted in good offices; and so -<span class='pageno' id='Page_31'>31</span>benevolent, that I am sure he will be almost -as happy in knowing you are amused, as you -can be in your sport; and he hopes for an additional -satisfaction in the pleasure of your -conversation.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—So let it be.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I will take you to the house; you -shall make your bow, and then you will be all -free to follow your own fancies. Remember, -the dinner hour is five; the dressing bell rings -at half-past four; be punctual to this engagement, -from which you will be free at seven.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—This is really a very charming villa -scene, I may almost say, a pastoral scene. -The meadows have the verdure which even -the Londoners enjoy as a peculiar feature of -the English landscape. The river is clear, -and has all the beauties of a trout stream, of -the larger size,—there rapid, and here still, and -there tumbling in foam and fury over abrupt -dams upon clean gravel, as if pursuing a natural -course. And that island with its poplars -and willows, and the flies making it their -summer paradise, and its little fishing-house, -are all in character; and if not extremely picturesque, -it is at least a very pleasant scene, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_32'>32</span>from its verdure and pure waters, for the lovers -of our innocent amusement.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>-It is ten o’clock: you may put up -your rods, or take rods from the hall, for so -hospitable is the master of this mansion, that -every thing is supplied to our hands. And -Physicus, as you are the only one of our party -ignorant of the art of fly fishing, I will fit you -with a rod and flies; and let me advise you to -begin with a line shorter than your rod, and -throw at first slowly and without effort, and -imitate us as well as you can. As for precepts, -they are of little value; practice and imitation -will make you an angler.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I shall put together my rod, and fish -with my own flies. It may be fancy, but I always -think I do best with tackle with which -I am used to fish.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—You are right; for fancy is always -something: and when we believe that we can -do things better in a particular way, we really -do, by the influence of imagination, perform -them both better and with less effort. I agree -with moralists, that the standard of virtue -should be placed higher than any one can reach; -for in trying to rise, man will attain a more -excellent state of being than if no effort were -<span class='pageno' id='Page_33'>33</span>made. But to our business. As far as the -perfection of the material for the angler is concerned, -the flies you find on this table are as -good as can be made, and for this season of -the year, there is no great variety on this river. -We have had lately some warm days, and -though it is but the 18th of May, yet I know -<a id='the'></a>the May-fly has been out for three or four -days, and this is the best period of this destructive -season for the fisherman. There are, I observe, -many male flies on the high trees, and -some females on the alders.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—But I see flies already on the water, -which seem of various colors,—brown and gray, -and some very pale,—and the trout appear to -rise at them eagerly.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—The fly you see is called by fishermen -the alder fly, and appears generally in -large quantities before the May-fly. Imitations -of this fly, and of the green and the gray drake -of different shades, are the only ones you will -need this morning, though I doubt if the last -can be much used, as the gray drake is not yet -on the water in any quantity.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—Pray can you give us any account -of these curious little animals?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_34'>34</span><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—We ought to draw upon your stores -of science for information on these subjects.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I really know nothing of Entomology, -but I am desirous of acquiring knowledge.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I have made few observations on -flies as a philosophical naturalist. What I -know I will state at another time. But see, -the green drake is descending upon the water, -and some are leaving the alders to sport in the -sunshine, and to enjoy the pleasures of their -brilliant, though short existence; and their life, -naturally ephemeral, is made one of scarcely a -moment, by the fishes and birds: that which -the swallow or the duck spares is caught by -the fish. The fly is new, and in the imitation, -I recommend the olive tint, or what the Irish -call the green monkey. That is, an artificial -fly, with a wing of dyed yellow drake’s feather, -a body of yellow monkey’s fur, and a small -quantity of olive mohair for legs. For myself, -I shall fish for some time with a large red -alder fly, and I dare say, with as much success. -That is, with a fly with a dark peacock’s -harle for body, a red hackle for legs, and wings -of the land-rail below, and starling above.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—The water is quite in motion, what -noble fish I see on the feed! I never beheld -<span class='pageno' id='Page_35'>35</span>a finer sight, though I have often seen the -May-fly on well-stocked waters.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—This river <a id='is'></a>is most strictly preserved; -not a fish has been killed here since last -August, and this is the moment when the large -fish come to the surface, and leave their cad -bait search and minnow hunting. But I have -hardly time to talk; I have hold of a good -fish: they take either alder or May-fly, and -having never been fished for this year, they -make no distinction, and greedily seize any -small object in motion on the water. You -see the alder-fly is quite as successful as the -May-fly; but there is a fish which has refused -it, and because he has been feeding, glutton-like, -on the May-fly: that is the fifth he has -swallowed in a minute. Now I shall throw -the drake a foot above him. It floats down, -and he has taken it. A fine fish; I think at -least 4lbs. This is the largest fish we have -yet seen, but in the deep water still lower -down, there are still greater fish. One of -5lbs. I have known taken here, and once a -fish a little short only of 6lbs.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I have just landed a fish which I -suppose you will consider as a small one; yet -I am tempted to kill him.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_36'>36</span><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—He is not a fish to kill, throw him -back, he is much under 2lbs., and, as I ought -to have told you before, we are not allowed to -kill any fish of less size; and I am sure we -shall all have more than we ought to carry -away even of this size. Pray put him into the -well, or rather give him to the fisherman to -turn back into the water.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I cannot say I approve of this manner -of fishing: I lose my labour.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—As the object of your fishing, I -hope, is innocent amusement, you can enjoy -this, and show your skill in catching the animal; -and if every fish that took the May-fly -were to be killed, there would be an end to -the sport in the river, for none would remain -for next year.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—The number of flies seems to increase -as the day advances, and I never saw -a more animated water scene: all nature seems -alive; even the water-wagtails have joined the -attack upon these helpless and lovely creations -from the waters.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—It is now one o’clock; and between -twelve and three is the time when the May-fly -rises with most vigour. It is a very warm -day, and with such a quantity of fly, every fish -<span class='pageno' id='Page_37'>37</span>in the river will probably be soon feeding. -See, below the wear, there are two or three -large trout lately come out; and from the quiet -way in which they swallow their prey, and -from the size of the tranquil undulation that -follows their rise, I suspect they are the giants -of this river. Try if you cannot reach them: -one is near the bank in a convenient place for -a throw, for the water is sufficiently rough to -hide the deception, and these large fish do -not take the fly well in calm water, though -with natural flies on the hook they might all -be raised.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I have him! Alas! he has broken -me, and carried away half my bottom line. -He must have been a fish of 7 or 8lbs. What -a dash he made! He carried off my fly by -main force.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—You should have allowed your reel -to play and your line to run: you held him -too tight.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—He was too powerful a fish for my -tackle; and even if I had done so, would probably -have broken me by running amongst the -weeds.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Let me tell you, my friend, you should -never allow a fish to run to the weeds, or to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_38'>38</span>strike across the stream; you should carry him -always down stream, keeping his head high, and -in the current. If in a weedy river you allow a -large fish to run up stream, you are almost sure -to lose him. There, I have hooked the companion -of your lost fish on the other side of the -stream,—a powerful creature: he tries, you see, -to make way to the weeds, but I hold him tight.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I see you are obliged to run with -him, and have carried him safely through the -weeds.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I have him now in the rapids on the -shallow, and I have no fear of losing him, unless -he strikes the hook out of his mouth.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—He springs again and again.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—He is off; in one of these somersets -he detached the steel, and he now leaps to celebrate -his escape. We will leave this place, -where there are more great fish, and return to -it after a while, when the alarm produced by -our operations has subsided.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—That fish take the artificial fly at -all is rather surprising to me, for in its most -perfect form it is but a rude imitation of nature; -and from the greedy manner in which it -is seized, fish, I think, cannot possess a refined -sense of smell, or any nervous system corresponding -<span class='pageno' id='Page_39'>39</span>to the nasal one in animals that breathe -air: no scent can be given to water by an artificial -fly, or, at least, none like that of the natural -fly.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—The principal use of the nostrils in -fishes, I believe, is to assist in the propulsion -of water through the gills for performing the -office of respiration, but I think there are -some nerves in these organs which give fishes -a sense of the qualities of the water, or of substances -dissolved in, or diffused through it, -similar to our sense of smell, or, perhaps, -rather our sense of taste, for there can be no -doubt that fishes are attracted by scented pastes -and scented worms, which are sometimes used -by anglers that employ ground-baits; and in -old angling-books there are usually receipts for -attracting fish in this manner, and though the -absurdity of many of these prescriptions is manifest, -yet I do not think this proves that they are -entirely useless, for, upon such principles, all the -remedies for diseases in the old pharmacopœias -would be null.</p> - -<p class='c006'>With respect to the fly, as it usually touches -the stream by a very small surface, that of the -air-bubbles on the fringes on its legs, it can -scarcely affect the water so as to give it any -<span class='pageno' id='Page_40'>40</span>power of communicating smell. And as you -have seen a ripple or motion on the water is -necessary to deceive fishes; and as they look -at the fly from below, they see distinctly only -the legs and body, which, when the colours are -like those of the natural fly, may easily deceive -them; the wings, which are the worst -imitated parts of the artificial fly, seldom appear -to them, except through the different -refractive power of the moving water and the -atmosphere, and when immersed, they form -masses not unlike the wings of a drowned fly, -or one wetted in rising.</p> - -<hr class='c015' /> - -<p class='c006'>It is now a quarter of an hour since we left -the large pool: let us return to it; I see the -fish are again rising.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I am astonished! It appears to me -that the very same fish are again feeding. There -are two fish rising nearly in the same spot where -they rose before: can they be the same fish?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—It is very possible. It is not likely -that three other fish of that size should occupy -the same haunts.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—But I thought after a fish had been -<span class='pageno' id='Page_41'>41</span>hooked, he remained sick and sulky for some -time, feeling his wounds uncomfortable.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—The fish that I hooked is not rising -in the same place, and therefore, probably, was -hurt by the hook; but one of these fish seems -to be the same that carried off your fly, and it -is probable that the hook only struck him in a -part of the mouth where there are no nerves; -and that he suffered little at the moment, and -does not now feel his annoyance.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I have seen him take four or five -flies: I shall throw over him. There, he rose, -but refused the fly. He has at least learnt, from -the experiment he has made, to distinguish the -natural from the artificial fly.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—This, I think, always happens after -a fish has been hooked with an artificial fly. -He becomes cautious, and is seldom caught -that year, at least with the same means in the -same pool: but I dare say that fish might be -taken with a natural fly; or, what is better, -two upon the hook.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Pray try him.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I am no artist at this kind of angling, -but Ornither I know has fished in June with -the clubs at Stockbridge, where this method of -fishing is usual. Pray let him try his fortune, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_42'>42</span>though it is hardly fair play; and it is rather to -endeavour to recover your tackle, than for the -sake of the fish, that I encourage him to make -the essay.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Pray make no apologies for the -trial. Such a fish—certainly a monster for -this river—should be caught by fair means, if -possible, but caught by any means.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—You lost that fish, and you overrate -his size, as you will see, if I have good luck. I -put my live flies on the hook with some regret -and some disgust. I will not employ another -person to be my minister of cruelty, as I remember -a lady of fashion once did, who was very fond -of fishing for perch, and who employed her -daughter, a little girl of nine years of age, to pass -the hook through the body of the worm! Now -there is a good wind, and the fish has just taken -a natural fly. I shall drop the flies, if possible, -within a few inches of his nose. He has risen. -He is caught! I must carry him down stream -to avoid the bed of weeds above. I now have -him on fair ground, and he fights with vigour. -Fortunately, my silk worm gut is very strong, -for he is not a fish to be trifled with. He begins -to be tired; prepare the net. We have him safe, -and see your link hangs to his lower jaw: the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_43'>43</span>hook had struck the cartilage on the outside of -the bone, and the fly, probably, was scarcely felt -by him.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I am surprised! That fish evidently -had discovered that the artificial fly was a dangerous -bait, yet he took the natural fly which -was on a hook, and when the silk-worm gut -must have been visible.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I do not think he saw either the -gut or the hook. In very bright weather and -water, I have known very shy fish refuse even -a hook baited with the natural fly, scared probably -by some appearance of hook or gut. -The vision of fishes when the surface is not -ruffled is sufficiently keen. I have seen them -rise at <a id='gnat'></a>gnats so small as to be scarcely visible -to my eye.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—You just now said, that a fish -pricked by the hook of an artificial fly would -not usually take it again that season.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I cannot be exact on that point: I -have known a fish that I have pricked retain -his station in the river, and refuse the artificial -fly, day after day, for weeks together; but his -memory may have been kept awake by this -practice, and the recollection seems local and -associated with surrounding objects; and if a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_44'>44</span>pricked trout is chased into another pool, he -will, I believe, soon again take the artificial -fly. Or if the objects around him are changed, -as in Autumn, by the decay of weeds, or by -their being cut, the same thing happens; and -a flood, or a rough wind, I believe, assists the -fly-fisher, not merely by obscuring the vision -of the fish, but, in a river much fished, by -changing the appearance of their haunts: large -trouts almost always occupy particular stations, -under, or close to, a large stone or tree; and, -probably, most of their recollected sensations -are connected with this dwelling.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I think I understand you, that the -memory of the danger and pain does not last -long, unless there is a permanent sensation -with which it can remain associated,—such as -the station of the trout; and that the recollection -of the mere form of the artificial fly, -without this association, is evanescent.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—You are diving into metaphysics; -yet I think, in fowling, I have observed that -the memory of birds is local. A woodcock, -that has been much shot at and scared in a -particular wood, runs to the side where he has -usually escaped, the moment he hears the -dogs; but if driven into a new wood, he seems -<span class='pageno' id='Page_45'>45</span>to lose his acquired habits of caution, and becomes -stupid.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—This great fish, that Ornither has -just caught, must be nearly of the weight I -assigned to him.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—O no! he is, I think, above 5lbs., -but not 6lbs.; but we can form a more correct -opinion by measuring him, which I can -easily do, the but of my rod being a measure. -He measures, from nose to fork, a very -little less than twenty-four inches, and, consequently, -upon the scale which is appropriate -to well-fed trouts, should weigh 5lbs. 10oz.—which, -within an ounce, I doubt not, is his -weight.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—O! I see you take the mathematical -law, that similar solids are to each other in the -triplicate ratio of one of their dimensions.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—You are right.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—But I think you are below the mark, -for this appears to me an extraordinarily thick -fish.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—He is a well-fed fish, but, in proportion, -not so thick as my model, which was -a fish of 17 inches by 9 inches, and weighed -2lbs.; this is my standard solid. We will try -him. Ho! Mrs. B.!—bring your scales, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_46'>46</span>weigh this fish. There, you see, he weighs 5lbs. -10½oz.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—Well, I am pleased to see this fish, -and amused with your sport; but though I -have been imitating you in throwing the fly, as -well as I can, yet not a trout has taken notice of -my fly, and they seem scared by my appearance.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Let me see you perform. There -are two good trout taking flies opposite that -bank, which you can reach. You threw too -much line into the water, and scared them -both; but I will take you to the rapid of the -Tumbling Bay, where the river falls; there -the quickness of the stream will prevent your -line from falling deep, and the foam will conceal -your person from the view of the fish. -And let me advise you to fish only in the -rapids till you have gained some experience in -throwing the fly. There are several fish rising -in that stream.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I have raised one, but he refused -my fly.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Now you have a fish.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I am delighted;—but he is a small -one.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Unluckily it is a <em>dace</em>.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_47'>47</span><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I have now a larger fish, which has -pulled my line out.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Give him time. That is a good -trout. Now wind up; he is tired, and your -own. I will land him. He is a fish to keep, -being above 2lbs.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I am well pleased.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—There are many larger trouts here: -go on fishing and you will hook some of them. -And when you are tired of this rapid, you will -find another a quarter of a mile below. And -continue to fish with a short line, and drop -your fly, or let it be carried by the wind -on the water, as lightly as possible. Well, -Poietes, what success?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I have been fishing in the stream -above; but the flies are so abundant, that the -large fish will not take my artificial fly, and I -have caught only three fish, all of which the -fisherman has thrown into the water, though I -am sure one of them was more than 2lbs.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—You may trust his knowledge: with -a new angler, our keeper would be apt rather -to favour the fisherman than the fish. But -we will have all fish you wish to be killed, -and above 2lbs., put into the well of the boat, -where they can be examined, and, if you desire, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_48'>48</span>weighed and measured, and such kept as -are worth keeping. No good angler should -kill a fish, if possible, till he is needed to be -crimped; for the sooner he is dressed after -this operation the better;—and I assure you, -a well-fed trout of the Colne, crimped and -cooled ten minutes before he is wanted for the -kettle or the gridiron, is a fish little inferior to -the best salmon of the best rivers. It is now -nearly two o’clock, and there is a cloud over -the sun; the fly is becoming less abundant; -you are now likely, Poietes, to have better -sport. Try in that deep pool, below the Tumbling -Bay; I see two or three good fish rising -there, and there is a lively breeze. The -largest fish refuses your fly again and again; -try the others. There, you have hooked him; -now carry him down stream, and keep his -head high, out of the weeds. He plunges and -fights with great force;—he is the best-fed -fish I have yet seen at the end of the line, and -will weigh more in proportion to his length. -I will land him for you. There he is,—and -measures 19 inches; and I dare say his weight -is not much short of 3lbs. We will preserve -him in the well.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—He has hardly any spots, and is silvery -<span class='pageno' id='Page_49'>49</span>all over; and the whole of the lower part -of his body is beautifully clean.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—He is likewise broad-backed; and -you may observe his few spots are black, and -these are very small. I have always remarked, -in this river, that the nearer the fish approach -to perfection, the colour of the body becomes -more uniform,—pale olive above, and bright -silver below; and these qualities are always -connected with a small head,—or rather, an oval -body, and deep-red flesh.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—May not the red spots be marks of -disease—a hectic kind of beauty? For I observed -in a very thin and poor fish, and great-headed, -that I caught an hour ago, which had -leeches sticking to it, a number of red spots, and -a long black back, and black or bluish marks -even on the belly.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I do not think red spots a symptom -of disease; for I have seen fish in other rivers, -and even small fish in this river, in perfectly -good season, with red spots; but the colours -of fish are very capricious, and depend upon -causes which cannot be easily defined. The -colouring matter is not in the scales, but in -the surface of the skin immediately beneath -them, and is probably a secretion easily affected -<span class='pageno' id='Page_50'>50</span>by the health of the animal. I have known -fish, from some lakes in Ireland, mottled in a -most singular way,—their colour being like -that of the tortoise: the nature of the water, -exposure to the light, and probably the kind -of food, produce these effects. I think it possible, -when trout feed much on hard substances, -such as larvæ and their cases, and -the ova of other fish, they have more red spots, -and redder fins. This is the case with the -gillaroo and the char, who feed on analogous -substances: and the trout, that have similar -habits, might be expected to resemble them. -When trout feed most on small fish, as minnows, -and on flies, they have more tendency -to become spotted with small black spots, and -are generally more silvery. The Colne trout -are, in their advanced state, of this kind; and -so are the trout called in Ireland buddocks and -dolochans, found in Loch Neah. Particular -character becomes hereditary, and the effects of -a peculiar food influence the appearance of the -next generation. I hope, Ornither, you have -had good sport.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—Excellent! Since you left me, below -the wear, I have hooked at least fifteen or -twenty good fish, and landed and saved eight -<span class='pageno' id='Page_51'>51</span>above 2lbs.; but I have taken no fish like the -great one which I caught by poaching with -the natural flies. The trout rose wonderfully -well within the last quarter of an hour, but -they are now all still; and the river, which -was in such active motion, is now perfectly -quiet, and seems asleep and almost dead.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—It is past four o’clock, and some -dark, heavy clouds are come on,—the fly is -off. It is almost the hour for the signal of -the dressing bell; and there is nothing more -to be done now till evening. But see! our -host is come to examine our fish in the well, -and to enquire about our sport; and, I dare -say, will order some of our fish to be dressed for -the table.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Host.</span>—I hope, gentlemen, you have been -amused?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Most highly, sir. As a proof of it, -there are in the fish-well eighteen good trout,—and -one not much short of 6lbs.; three -above 4lbs., and four above 3lbs. in weight. -I hope you will order that great fish for your -dinner.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Host.</span>—We will see. He is a fine fish, -and fit for a present, even for a prince—and -you shall take him to a prince. Here is a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_52'>52</span>fish, and there another, of the two next sizes, -which I am sure will cut red. Prepare them, -fisherman. And, Halieus, you shall catch two -or three perch, for another dish; I know there -are some good ones below the piles of the -wear; I saw them hunting small fish there -yesterday morning. Some minnows, ho!—and -the perch rods!</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I am tired, sir, and would willingly -avoid minnow fishing after such a morning’s -sport.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Host.</span>—Come, then, I will be a fisher for -the table. I have one—and another, that will -weigh nearly a pound apiece. Now, there is -a cunning perch that has stolen my minnow; -I know he is a large one. He has robbed me -again and again; and if I fish on in this way, -with the hook through the upper lip, will, I -dare say, carry away all the minnows in the -kettle. I shall put on a strong small hook, on -a stout, though fine, gut, with slender wire -round the top, and pass the hook through the -back fin of the minnow, and try my sagacity -against his. Lo! I have him!—and a very -strong fish he is, and gone to the bottom; but -even though the greatest perch in the river, he -cannot bite the gut,—he will soon be tired -<span class='pageno' id='Page_53'>53</span>and taken. He now comes up, and is landed. -He must be above 3lbs.—a magnificent perch! -Kill him and crimp him, fisherman; take our two -trout, and the three perch, to the kitchen, and -let them be dressed as usual. You shall have -a good dish of fish, worthy of such determined -anglers. But I see one of your party coming -up by the side of the river, who seems tired and -out of spirits.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—It is Physicus, who has this day -commenced his career as a fly fisher; and who, -I dare say, has been as successful as the uninitiated -generally are. I hope you have followed -my advice, and been fortunate?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I caught two trout in the rapid -where you left me; but they were small, and -the fisherman threw them in. Below the wear, -in the quick stream, I caught two dace, and -what astonished me very much, a perch, which -you see here, and which I thought never took -the fly.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—O yes, sometimes; and particularly -when it is below the surface: and what more?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—By creeping on my knees, and -dropping my fly over the bank, I hooked a -very large fish which I saw rising, and which -was like a salmon; but he was too strong for -<span class='pageno' id='Page_54'>54</span>my tackle, ran out all my line, and at last broke -off by entangling my link in a post in the river. -I have been very unlucky! I am sure that fish -was larger than the great one Ornither took -with the natural fly.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Come, you have been initiated, and -I see begin to take an interest in the sport, -and I do not despair of your becoming a distinguished -angler.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—With time and some patience: but -I am sorry I tortured that enormous fish without -taking him.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I dare say he was a large fish; but -I have known very correct, and even cool, reasoners -in error on a point of this kind. You -are acquainted with Chemicus; he is not an -ardent fisherman, and certainly not addicted -to romance; I will tell you an anecdote respecting -him. He accompanied me to this -very spot last year, on a visit to our host, and -preferred angling for pike to fly fishing. After -the amusement of a morning, he brought back -with him to the house one pike, and with some -degree of disappointment complained that he -had hooked another of an enormous size, which -carried off his tackle by main force, and which -he was sure must have been above 10lbs. At -<span class='pageno' id='Page_55'>55</span>dinner, on the table, there were two pikes; one -the fish that Chemicus had caught, and another -a little larger, somewhat more than 3lbs. We -put some questions as to who had caught this -second pike, which we found had been taken -by our host, who smiling, and with some kind -of mystery, asked Chemicus if he thought it -weighed 10lbs. Chemicus refused to acknowledge -an identity between such a fish and the -monster he had hooked; when my friend took -out of his pocket a paper containing some -hooks and tackle carefully wrapped up, and -asked Chemicus if he had ever seen such an -apparatus. Chemicus owned they were the -hooks and tackle the great fish had carried -away. “And I found them,” said our friend, -“in the mouth of that very <em>little</em> fish which you -see on the table, and which I caught half an hour -ago.”</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Host.</span>—I answer for the correctness of this -anecdote, but I do not sanction its application -to the case of our novitiate in angling. I have -seen a fish under that bank where he was so -unfortunate, which I am sure was above four -pounds, and which I dare say was the subject of -his unsuccessful experiment.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—From what our host has just said, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_56'>56</span>I conclude, Halieus, that fish do not usually -change their stations.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Large trouts unquestionably do not;—they -always hide themselves under the same -bank, stone, stock, or weed, as I said this -morning before, and come out from their permanent -habitations to feed; and when they -have fled to their haunt, they may be taken -there by the hand; and on this circumstance -the practice of tickling trout is founded. A -favourite place for a large trout in rivers is an -eddy behind a rock or stone, where flies and -small fishes are carried by the force of the -current: and such haunts are rarely unoccupied; -for if a fish is taken out of one of them, -his place is soon supplied by another, who quits -for it a less convenient situation.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—So much knowledge and practice is -required to become a proficient, that I am afraid -it is too late in life for me to begin to learn a -new art.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Do not despair. There was—alas! -that I must say there was—an illustrious philosopher, -who was nearly of the age of fifty -before he made angling a pursuit, yet he became -a distinguished fly-fisher, and the amusement -occupied many of his leisure hours during the -last twelve years of his life. He, indeed, applied -<span class='pageno' id='Page_57'>57</span>his pre-eminent acuteness, his science, and -his philosophy to aid the resources, and exalt -the pleasures of this amusement. I remember -to have seen Dr. Wollaston, a few days after he -had become a fly-fisher, carrying at his buttonhole -a piece of caoutchouc, or Indian rubber, -when, by passing his silk-worm link through a -fissure in the middle, he rendered it straight and -fit for immediate use. Many other anglers will -remember other ingenious devices of my admirable -and ever-to-be lamented friend.</p> - -<p class='c006'>(<i>They go to dinner.</i>)</p> - -<hr class='c015' /> - -<p class='c006'>(<i>They return from the house.</i>)</p> - -<h3 class='c010'>EVENING.</h3> - -<p class='c016'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—You have, I am sure, gentlemen, -dined well; no one ever dined otherwise in -this house. It is a beautiful calm evening, -and many fish might be caught where we -fished in the morning; but I will take you to -another part of the river; you shall each catch -a fish, and then we will give over; for the -evening’s sport should be kept till a late season,—July -or August,—when there is little -fly on in the day-time: and it would be spoiling -<span class='pageno' id='Page_58'>58</span>the diversion of our host, to catch or prick -all the fish in the upper water; and with a -gentleman so truly liberal, and so profuse of -his means of giving pleasure to others, no improper -liberties should be taken. I shall not -fish myself, but shall have my pleasure in -witnessing your sport. It must be in a boat, -and you must steal slowly up the calm water, -and glide like aerial beings on the surface, -making no motion in the water, and showing -no shadow. Your fly must be an orange or -brown palmer with a yellow body; for the -gray drake is not yet on the water. The fish -here are large, and the river weedy, so you -must take care of your fish and your tackle.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—We have at least passed over half-a-mile -of water, and have seen no fish rise; -yet there is a yellowish or reddish fly in the -air, which moves like a drake; and there are -clouds of pale brown flies encircling the alders. -Now I think I see a large trout rise below -that alder.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—That is not a trout, for he rises in -a different place now, and is probably a large -roach or chub; do not waste your time upon -him. You may always know a large trout -when feeding in the evening. He rises continuously, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_59'>59</span>or at small intervals,—in a still -water almost always in the same place,—and -makes little noise,—barely elevating his mouth -to suck in the fly, and sometimes showing -his back-fin and tail. A large circle spreads -around him, but there are seldom many bubbles -when he breaks the water, which usually indicate -the coarser fish: we will wait a few -minutes; I know there must be trout here, -and the sun is setting, and the yellow fly, or -dun cut, coming on the water. See, beneath -that alder is a trout rising, and now there is -another thirty yards higher up. Take care, -get your line out in another part of the water, -and in order, for reaching the fish, and do not -throw till you are sure you can reach the -spot, and throw at least half-a-yard above -the fish.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—He rose, I suppose, at a natural -fly, the moment before my fly touched the -water.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Try again. You have hooked him, -and you have done well not to strike when he -rose. Now hold him tight, wind up your -line, and carry him down the stream. Push -the boat down stream, fisherman. Keep your -fish’s head up. He begins to tire,—and there -<span class='pageno' id='Page_60'>60</span>is landed. A fine well-fed fish, not much less -than 4lbs. Throw him into the well. Now, -Poietes, try that fish rising above,—and there -are two more.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I have him!</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Take care. He has turned you, and -you have suffered him to run out your line, -and he is gone into the weeds under the willow: -let him fall down stream.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I cannot get him out.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Then wind up. I fear he is lost, -yet we will try to recover him by taking the -boat up. The line is loose: he has left the -link entangled in the weeds, and carried your -fly with him. He must have been a large -fish, or he could not have disentangled himself -from so strong a gut. Try again, there are -fish now rising above and below; where the -water is in motion, opposite that willow, there -are two fish rising.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I have one of them.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Now you are doing well. Down -with the boat, and drag your fish downwards. -Continue to do so, as there are weeds all -round you. You can master him now; keep -him high, and he is your own. Put the net -under him, and bring him into the boat; he -<span class='pageno' id='Page_61'>61</span>is a well-fed fish, but not of the proper size -for a victim: about 2lbs. Now, Physicus, -try your fortune with the fish above that rises -so merrily still. You have him! Now use -him as Poietes did the last. Very well; I -see he is a large fish,—take your time. He is -landed; a fish nearly of 3lbs., and in excellent -season.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—Anche Io son Pescatore—I am too a -fisherman—a triumph.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Now we have finished our fishing, -and must return to the light supper of our -host. It would be easy now, and between -this hour and ten, to take half-a-dozen large -fish in this part of the water; but for the -reason I have already stated, it would be improper.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Pray would not this be a good -part of the water for day-fishing?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Undoubtedly, a skilful angler might -take fish here in the day; but the bank is -shaded by trees, there is seldom any sensible -wind on the water, and the apparatus and the -boat in motion are easily perceived in the daylight; -and the water is so deep, that a great -quantity of fly is necessary to call up the fish; -and in general there is a larger quantity of fly in -<span class='pageno' id='Page_62'>62</span>hot summer evenings, than even in the brightest -sunshine.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—The fly appears to me like a moth -that is now on the water.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—It is.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—What flies come on late in the -season here?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Flies of the same species; some -darker, and some with a deeper shade of red; -and there are likewise the true moths, the -brown and white, which, in June and July, -are seized with avidity by the fish; and being -large flies, take large fish.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—Surely the May-fly season is not the -only season for day-fishing in this river?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Certainly not. There are as many -fish to be taken perhaps in the Spring fishing; -but in this deep river they are seldom in good -season till the May-fly has been on, and a -fortnight hence they will be still better than -even now. In September there may be good -fish taken here; but the <a id='aut'></a>autumnal flies are -less plentiful in this river than the spring flies.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—Pray tell me what are the species -of fly which take in these two seasons.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—You know that trout spawn or deposit -their ova and seminal fluid in the end of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_63'>63</span>the <a id='aut2'></a>autumn or beginning of winter, from the -middle of November till the beginning of January, -their maturity depending upon the temperature -of the season, their quantity of food, -&c. For some time (a month or six weeks) -before they are prepared for the sexual function, -or that of re-production, they become less -fat, particularly the females; the large quantity -of eggs and their size probably affecting the -health of the animal, and compressing generally -the vital organs in the abdomen. They are at -least six weeks or two months after they have -spawned before they recover their flesh: and the -time when these fish are at the worst is likewise -the worst time for fly-fishing, both on account of -the cold weather and because there are fewer -flies on the water than at any other season. -Even in December and January there are a few -small gnats or water-flies on the water in the -middle of the day, in bright days, or when there -is sunshine. These are generally black, and -they escape the influence of the frost by the effects -of light on their black bodies, and probably -by the extreme rapidity of the motions of their -fluids, and generally of their organs. They are -found only at the surface of the water, where the -<a id='temp'></a>temperature must be above the freezing point. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_64'>64</span>In February a few double-winged water-flies -which swim down the stream are usually found -in the middle of the day,—such as the willow-fly; -and the cow-dung-fly is sometimes carried -on the water by winds. In March there are several -flies found on most rivers. The grannam -or green-tail-fly, with a wing like a moth, comes -on generally morning and evening, from five till -eight o’clock, <span class='fss'>A. M.</span> in mild weather in the end of -March and through April. Then there are the -blue and the brown, both Ephemeræ, which -come on, the first in dark days, the second in -bright days; these flies, when well imitated, are -very destructive to fish. The first is a small -fly with a palish-yellow body, and slender beautiful -wings, which rest on the back as it floats -down the water. The second, called the cob in -Wales, is three or four times as large, and has -brown wings, which likewise protrude from the -back, and its wings are shaded like those of a -partridge, brown and yellow brown. These -three kinds of flies lay their eggs in the water, -which produce larvæ that remain in the state of -worms, feeding and breathing in the water till -they are prepared for their metamorphosis and -quit the bottoms of the rivers, and the mud -and stones, for the surface, and the light and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_65'>65</span>air. The brown fly usually disappears before -the end of April, likewise the grannam; but -of the blue dun, there is a succession of different -tints, or species, or varieties, which appear -in the middle of the day all the summer -and autumn long. These are the principal -flies on the <a id='wand'></a>Wandle—the best and clearest -stream near London. In early spring these -flies have dark olive bodies; in the end of -April and the beginning of May they are -found yellow; and in the summer they become -cinnamon-coloured; and again, as the -winter approaches, gain a darker hue. I do -not, however, mean to say that they are the -same flies, but more probably successive generations -of Ephemeræ of the same species.</p> - -<p class='c006'>The excess of heat seems equally unfavourable, -as the excess of cold, to the existence of -the smaller species of water-insects, which, -during the intensity of sunshine, seldom appear -in summer, but rise morning and evening -only. The blue dun has in June and July a -yellow body, and there is a water-fly which in -the evening is generally found before the moths -appear, called the red-spinner. Towards the -end of August, the Ephemeræ appear again -in the middle of the day: a very pale small -<span class='pageno' id='Page_66'>66</span>Ephemera, which is of the same colour as that -which is seen in some rivers in the beginning -of July. In September and October this kind -of fly is found with an olive body, and it becomes -darker in October, and paler in November. -There are two other flies which -appear in the end of September, and continue -during October if the weather be mild: a large -yellow fly with a fleshy body and wings like -a moth; and a small fly with four wings, with -a dark or claret-coloured body, that when it -falls on the water has its wings like the great -yellow fly, flat on its back. This, or a claret-bodied -fly, very similar in character, may be -likewise found in March or April, on some -waters. In this river I have often caught -many large trout in April and the beginning -of May, with the blue dun, having the yellow -body; and in the upper part of the stream -below St. Albans, and between that and Watford, -I have sometimes, even as early as April, -caught fish in good condition: but the <em>true</em> -season for the Colne is the season of the May-fly. -The same may be said of most of the -large English rivers containing large trouts, -and abounding in May-fly;—such as the Test -and the Kennet; the one running by Stockbridge, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_67'>67</span>the other by Hungerford. But in the -Wandle at Carshalton and Beddington, the -May-fly is not found; and the little blues are -the constant, and when well imitated, killing -flies on this water; to which may be joined -a dark alder-fly, and a red evening fly. In -the Avon, at Ringwood and Fordingbridge, -the May-fly is likewise a killing fly; but as -this is a grayling river, the other flies, particularly -the grannam and blue and brown, are -good in spring, and the alder-fly or pale blue -later, and the blue dun in September and October, -and even November. In the streams -in the mountainous parts of Britain, the spring -and autumnal flies are by far the most killing. -The Usk was formerly a very productive trout -stream, and the fish being well-fed by the -worms washed down by the winter floods, -were often in good season, cutting red, in -March, and the beginning of April: and at -this season the blues and browns, particularly -when the water was a little stained after a -small flood, afforded the angler good sport. -In Herefordshire and Derbyshire, where trout -and grayling are often found together, the same -periods are generally best for angling; but in the -Dove, Lathkill, and Wye, with the natural May-fly, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_68'>68</span>many fish may be taken; and in old times, -in peculiarly windy days, or high and troubled -water, even the artificial May-fly, according to -Cotton, was very killing.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I have heard various accounts of the -excellent fishing in some of the great lakes in Ireland. -Can you tell us any thing on the subject, -and if the same flies may be used in that island?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I have been several times in Ireland, -but never at this season, which is considered -as best for lake-fishing. I have heard -that in some of the lakes in Westmeath, very -large trout, and great quantities may be taken -in the beginning of June, with the very flies -we have been using this day. Wind is necessary; -and a good angler sometimes takes in -a day, or rather formerly took, from ten to -twelve fish, which weighed from 3 to 10lbs., -and which occasionally were even larger. In -the summer after June, and in the autumn, -the only seasons when I have fished in Ireland, -I have seldom taken any large trout; but -in the river Boyle, late in October, after a flood, -I once had some sport with these fish, that were -running up the river from Lock Key to spawn. -I caught one day two above 3lbs. that took a -large reddish-brown fly of the same kind as a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_69'>69</span>salmon fly; and I saw some taken that weighed -5lbs., and heard of one that equalled 9lbs. These -fish were in good season, even at this late period, -and had no spots, but were coloured red and -brown—mottled like tortoise-shell, only with -smaller bars. I have in July, likewise, fished -in Loch Con, near Ballina, and Loch Melvin, -near Ballyshannon. In Loch Con, the party -caught many small good trout, that cut red; -and in the other I caught a very few trout only, -but as many of them were gillaroo or gizzard -trout as common trout.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—This must have been an interesting -kind of fishing. In what does the gillaroo differ -from the trout?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—In appearance very little, except -that they have more red spots, and a yellow -or golden-coloured belly and fins, and are generally -a broader and thicker fish; but internally -they have a different organization, possessing -a large thick muscular stomach, which -has been improperly compared to a fowl’s, -and which generally contains a quantity of -small shell-fish of three or four kinds: and -though in those I caught the stomachs were full -of these shell-fish, yet they rose greedily at the -fly.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_70'>70</span><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Are they not common trout which -have gained the habit of feeding on shell-fish?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—If so, they have been altered in a -succession of generations. The common trouts -of this lake have stomachs like other trouts, -which never, as far as my experience has -gone, contain shell-fish; but of the gillaroo -trout, I have caught with a fly some not -longer than my finger, which have had as -perfect a hard stomach as the larger ones, -with the coats as thick in proportion, and the -same shells within; so that this animal is at -least <em>now</em> a distinct species, and is a sort of -link between the trout and char, which has a -stomach of the same kind with the gillaroo, but -not quite so thick, and which feeds at the bottom -in the same way. I have often looked in the -lakes abroad for gillaroo trout, and never found -one. In a small lake at the foot of the Crest of -the Brenner, above 4000 feet above the level of -the sea, I once caught some trout, which, from -their thickness and red spots, I suspected were -gillaroo, but on opening the stomach I found I -was mistaken; it had no particular thickness, -and was filled with grasshoppers: but there -<span class='pageno' id='Page_71'>71</span>were <em>char</em>, which fed on <em>shell-fish</em>, in the same -lake.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Are water-flies found on all rivers?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—This is a question which I find it -impossible to answer; yet from my own experience -I should suppose, that in all the habitable -parts of the globe certain water-flies exist wherever -there is running water. Even in the most -ardent temperature, gnats and musquitoes are -found, which lay their congeries of eggs on the -water, which, when hatched, become first worms, -afterwards small shrimp-like aurelia, and lastly -flies. There are a great number of the largest -species of these flies on stagnant waters and -lakes, which form a part of the food of various -fishes, principally of the carp kind: but the true -fisherman’s flies,—those which are imitated in our -art, principally belong to the northern, or at least -temperate part of Europe, and I believe are nowhere -more abundant than in England. It appears -to me, that since I have been a fisherman, -which is now the best part of half a century, I -have observed in some rivers where I have been -accustomed to fish habitually, a diminution of the -numbers of flies. There were always some -seasons in which the temperature was favourable -to a quantity of fly; for instance, fine warm days -<span class='pageno' id='Page_72'>72</span>in spring for the grannam, or brown fly; and like -days in May and June for the alder-fly, May-fly, -and stone-fly; but I should say that within -these last twenty years I have observed a general -diminution of the spring and autumnal flies, -except in those rivers which are fed from -sources that run from chalk, and which are -perennial—such as the Wandle, and the -Hampshire and Buckinghamshire rivers; in -these streams the temperature is more uniform, -and the quantity of water does not vary much. -I attribute the change of the quantity of flies -in the rivers to the cultivation of the country. -Most of the bogs or marshes which fed many -considerable streams are drained; and the consequence -is, that they are more likely to be -affected by severe droughts and great floods—the -first killing, and the second washing -away the larvæ and aurelias. May-flies thirty -years ago were abundant in the upper part of -the Teme river in Herefordshire, where it -receives the Clun: they are now rarely seen. -Most of the rivers of that part of England, -as well as of the west, with the exception of -those that rise in the still uncultivated parts -of Dartmoor and Exmoor, are rapid and -unfordable torrents after rain, and in dry -<span class='pageno' id='Page_73'>73</span>summers little more than scanty rills; and -Exmoor and Dartmoor, almost the only considerable -remains of those moist, spongy, or -peaty soils, which once covered the greatest -part of the high lands of England, are becoming -cultivated, and their sources will gradually -gain the same character as those of our midland -and highly-improved counties. I cannot give -you an idea of the effects of peat mosses and -grassy marshes on the water thrown down -from the atmosphere, better, than by comparing -their effects to those of roofs of houses -of thatched straw, as contrasted with roofs of -slate, on a shower of rain. The slate begins -to drop immediately, and sends down what it -receives in a rapid torrent, and is dry soon -after the shower is over. From the sponge-like -roof of thatch, on the contrary, it is long -before the water drops; but it continues dropping -and wet for hours after the shower is over -and the slate dry.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—You spoke just now of the gillaroo -trout, as belonging only to Ireland. I can, -however, hardly bring myself to believe, that -such a fish is not to be found elsewhere. For -lakes with shell-fish and char are common in -various parts of Europe, and as the gillaroo -<span class='pageno' id='Page_74'>74</span>trout is congenerous, it ought to exist both in -Scotland and the Alpine countries.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—It is not possible from analogies of -this kind to draw certain inferences. Subterraneous -cavities and subterranean waters are -common in various countries, yet the Proteus -Anguinus is only found in two places in Carniola—at -Adelsburg and Sittich. As I mentioned -before, I have never yet met with a gillaroo -trout except in Ireland. It is true, it is -only lately that I have had my attention directed -to this subject, and other fishermen or -naturalists may be more fortunate.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Have you ever observed any other -varieties of the trout kind, which may be considered -as, like the gillaroo, forming a distinct -species?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I think the par, samlet, or brandling, -common to most of our rivers, which -communicate with the sea, has a claim to be -considered a distinct species; yet the history -of this fish is so obscure, and so little understood, -that, perhaps, I ought not to venture -to give an account of it. But in doing so, -you will consider me as rather asking for new -information, than as attempting a satisfactory -view of this little animal.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_75'>75</span><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—I have seen this fish in the rivers of -Wales and Herefordshire, and have heard it -asserted, on what appeared to me good authority, -that it was a mule,—the offspring of a -trout and a salmon.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—This opinion, I know, has been -supported by the fact, that it is found only -in streams, which are occasionally visited by -salmon; yet I know no direct evidence in -favour of the opinion, and I should think it -much more probable, if it be a mixed race, that -it is produced by the sea trout and common -trout. In a small river, which runs into the -Moy, near Ballina in Ireland, I once caught -in October a great number of small sea trout, -which were generally about half-a-pound in -weight, and were all <em>males</em>; and unless it -be supposed, that the females were in the -river likewise, and would not take the fly, -these fish, in which the spermatic system was -fully developed, could only have impregnated -the ova of the common river trout. The sea -trout and river trout are, indeed, so like each -other in character, that such a mixture seems -exceedingly probable; but I know no reason -why such mules should always continue small, -except that it may be a mark of imperfection. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_76'>76</span>The only difference between the par and common -small trout is in the colours, and its -possessing one or two spines more in the pectoral -fin. The par has large blue or olive -bluish marks on the sides, as if they had been -made by the impression of the fingers of a -hand; and hence the fish is called in some -places <em>fingerling</em>. The river and sea trout -seem capable of changing permanently their -places of residence; and sea trout appear often -to become river trout. In this case they lose -their silvery colour, and gain more spots; and -in their offspring these changes are more distinct. -Fish, likewise, which are ill-fed remain -small; and pars are exceedingly numerous in -those rivers where they are found, which are -never separated from the sea by impassable -falls; from which I think it possible that they -are produced by a cross between sea and river -trout. The varieties of the common trout are -almost infinite; from the great lake trout, -which weighs above 60 or 70lbs., to the trouts -of the little mountain brook or small mountain -lake, or tarn, which is scarcely larger than -the finger. The smallest trout spawn nearly -at the same time with the larger ones, and -their ova are of the same size; but in the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_77'>77</span>large trout there are tens of thousands, and in -the small one rarely as many as forty,—often -from ten to forty. So that in the physical -constitution of these animals, their production -is diminished as their food is small in quantity; -and it is remarkable, that the ova of -the large and beautiful species which exist in -certain lakes, and which seem always to associate -together, appear to produce offspring, -which, in colour, form, and power of growth -and reproduction, resemble the parent fishes; -and they generally choose the same river for -their spawning. Thus, in the lake of Guarda, -the Benacus of the ancients, the magnificent -trout, or <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">Salmo fario</span></i>, which in colour and -appearance is like a fresh run salmon, spawns -in the river at Riva, beginning to run up -for that purpose in June, and continuing -to do so all the summer; and this river is -fed by streams from snow and glaciers in -the Tyrol, and is generally foul: whilst the -small spotted common trouts, which are likewise -found in this lake, go into the small -brooks, which have their sources not far off, -and in which, it is probable, they were originally -bred. I have seen taken in the same -net small fish of both these varieties which -<span class='pageno' id='Page_78'>78</span>were as marked as possible in their characters:—one -silvery, like a young salmon, -blue on the back, and with small black spots -only; the other, with yellow belly and red -spots, and an olive-coloured back. I have -made similar observations in other lakes, particularly -in that of the Tarun near Gmunden, -and likewise at Loch Neah in Ireland. Indeed, -considering the sea trout as the type of -the species <em>trout</em>, I think all the other true -trouts may not improperly be considered as -varieties, where the differences of food and -of habits have occasioned, in a long course of -ages, differences of shape and colours, transmitted -to offspring in the same manner as in -the variety of dogs, which may all be referred -to one primitive type.<a id='r4' /><a href='#f4' class='c012'><sup>[4]</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_79'>79</span><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I am somewhat amused at your -idea of the change produced in the species of -trout by the formation of particular characters -by particular accidents, and their hereditary -transmission. It reminds me of the ingenious -but somewhat unsound views of Darwin on -the same subject.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I will not allow you to assimilate -my views to those of an author, who, however -ingenious, is far too speculative; whose poetry -has always appeared to me weak philosophy, -and his philosophy indifferent poetry: and to -whom I have been often accustomed to apply -Blumenbach’s saying, that there were many -things new and many things true in his doctrines; -but that what was new was not true, -and what was true was not new.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I think Halieus is quite in the -right to be a little angry at your observation, -Physicus, in making him a disciple of a writer, -who, as well as I can recollect, has deduced -the <em>genesis</em> of the human being, by a succession -of changes dependant upon irritabilities, sensibilities, -and appetencies, from the <em>fish</em>; blending -the wild fancies of Buffon with the profound -ideas of Hartly, and thus endeavouring -to give currency to an absurd romance, by -<span class='pageno' id='Page_80'>80</span>mixing with it some philosophical truths. I -hope your parallel will induce him to do us -the favour to state his own notions more at -large.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Physicus has mistaken me; and I -will explain. What I mentioned of the varieties -of dogs as sprung from one type, he will, I -am sure, allow me to apply, with some modifications, -to all our cultivated breeds of animals, -whether horses, oxen, sheep, hogs, geese, -ducks, turkies, or pigeons; and he will allow, -that certain characters gained by accidents, -either from peculiar food, air, water, or domestic -treatment, are transmitted to, and often -strengthened in the next generation; the qualities -being, as it <a id='were'></a>were, doubled when belonging -to both parents, and retained in spite of -counteracting causes. It will be sufficient for -me to mention only a few cases. The blood-horse -of Arabia, is become the favourite of the -north of Europe, and the colts possess all the -superior qualities of their parents, even in the -polar circle. The offspring of the Merino -sheep retain the fineness of their wool in England -and Saxony. Poultry, bantams, tumbling -and carrier pigeons, geese, ducks, turkies, &c., -all afford instances of the same kind; and in -<span class='pageno' id='Page_81'>81</span>the goose and duck, not only is the colour of the -feathers changed, but the form of the muscles of -the legs and wings; those of the wings, being little -employed, become weak and slender; those of -the legs, on the contrary, being much used, are -strong and fleshy; and it is well to know this, as, -in the young birds, the muscles of the legs and -thighs are the best parts for the epicure, a large -quantity of flesh being developed there, but not -yet hardened or rendered tough by exercise. -These facts are of the same kind and depend on -the same principles, as the peculiarity of the -breeds or races in trouts. Fish in a clear cool -river, that feed much on larvæ, and that swallow -their hard cases, become yellower, and the red -spots increase so as to outnumber the black ones; -and these qualities become fixed in the young -fishes, and establish a particular variety. If -trout from a lake, or another river of a different -variety, were introduced into this river, they -would not at once change their characters; but -the change would take place gradually. Thus -I have known trout from a lake in Scotland, -remarkable for their deep red flesh, introduced -into another lake, where the trout had only -white flesh, and they retained the peculiar redness -of their flesh for many years. At first they -<span class='pageno' id='Page_82'>82</span>all associated together in spawning in the brook -which fed the lake, but those newly introduced -were easily known from their darker backs -and brighter sides. By degrees, however, -from the influence of food and other causes, -they became changed; the young trout of the -introduced variety had flesh less red than -their parents; and in about twenty years the -variety was entirely lost, and all the fish were -in their original white state. A very speculative -reasoner might certainly defend the hypothesis, -of the change of <em>species</em> in a long -course of ages, from the establishment of particular -characters as hereditary. It might be -said, that trout, after having thickened their -stomachs by feeding on larvæ with hard cases, -gained the power of eating shell-fish, and were -gradually changed to gillaroos and to char; -their red spots and the yellow colour of their -belly and fins increasing. In the same manner -it might be said, that the large trout which feed -almost entirely on small fishes, gained more -spines in the pectoral fins, and became a new -species; but <em>I</em> shall not go so far, and I know -no facts of this kind. The gillaroo and the -char appear always with the same characters: -<span class='pageno' id='Page_83'>83</span>and I have never seen any fish that seemed -in a state of transition from a trout to gillaroo -or a char; which I think, must have been the -case if such changes took place. I hope, after -this explanation, Physicus will not find any -analogy between my ideas and those of a school, -to which I am not ambitious of being thought -to belong; and that he will allow my views to -be sound, or at least founded upon correct -analogies.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Do you know any facts of a similar -kind in confirmation of your idea that the par -is a mule?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I have heard of similar instances, -but I cannot say I have myself witnessed them. -The common carp and the cruscian are said to -produce a mixed race, and likewise the rud and -the roach; but I have never paid much attention -to varieties of the carp kind. A friend -of mine informed me, that in a branch of the -Test, into which graylings had recently been -introduced, his fisherman caught a fish, which -appeared to be from a cross between the trout -and grayling, having the high back fin of the -grayling, and the head and spots of the trout: -this is the more remarkable, if correct, as the -grayling spawns in the late spring, and the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_84'>84</span>trout in the late autumn or winter: yet I <em>do</em> -recollect that I once took a grayling in the end -of November, in which the ova were so large, -as nearly to be ready for protrusion. The -fisherman of the Gründtl See, in Styria, informed -me, that he had seen a fish which he -believed to be a mule between the trout and -char, the fins of which resembled those of a -trout, though the body was in other respects -like that of a char. The seasons at which these -two species spawn approach nearer to each -other; but the char spawns in still and the -trout in running water. In general the trout -are mature before the char, yet I have seen in -the Leopoldstein See, in Styria, a female char, -of which the eggs were almost fully developed -as early as June: the fisherman of the Gründtl -See said, that these peculiar fish were very -rare, and that he caught only one in about -500 char. It is not, I think, impossible, that -it may be an umbla, a fish that might be expected -to be found in that deep, cold, Alpine -lake, a peculiar species and not a mixed variety. -It is a fertile and very curious subject for new -experiments, that of crossing the breeds of -fishes, and offers a very interesting and untouched -field of investigation, which I hope -<span class='pageno' id='Page_85'>85</span>will soon be taken up by some enlightened -country gentleman, who in this way might -make not only curious but useful discoveries.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—So much science would be required -to make these experiments with success, -and there would be so many difficulties -in the way of preserving fishes at the time -they are proper for reproduction, that I fear -very few country gentlemen would be capable -of prosecuting the inquiry.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—The science required for this object -is easily attained, and the difficulties are quite -imaginary. The impregnation of the ova of -fishes is performed out of the body, and it is -only necessary to pour the seminal liquor from -the melt upon the ova in water. Mr. Jacobi, -a German gentleman, who made many -years ago experiments on the increase of trout -and salmon, informs us, that the ova and melt -of mature fish, recently dead, will produce -living offspring. His plan of raising trout -from the egg was a very simple one. He had -a box made with a small wire grating at one -end in the cover, for admitting water from a -fresh source or stream, and at the other end -of the side of the box there were a number of -holes to permit the exit of the water: the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_86'>86</span>bottom of the box was filled with pebbles and -gravel of different sizes, which were kept covered -with water that was always in motion. -In November or the beginning of December, -when the trout were in full maturity for -spawning, and collected in the rivers for this -purpose upon beds of gravel, he caught males -and females in a net, and by the pressure of -his hands, received the ova in a basin of water, -and suffered the melt or seminal fluid to pass -into the basin; and after they had remained -a few minutes together, he introduced them -upon the gravel in the box, which was placed -under a source of fresh, cool, and pure water. -In a few weeks the eggs burst, and the box -was filled with an immense number of young -trout, which had a small bag attached to the -lower part of their body containing a part of -the yolk of the egg, which was still their nourishment. -In this state they were easily carried -from place to place in confined portions of -fresh water for some days, requiring apparently -no food; but, after about a week, the nourishment -in their bag being exhausted, they began -to seek their food in the water, and rapidly -increased in size. As I have said before, -Mr. Jacobi assures us, that the experiment -<span class='pageno' id='Page_87'>87</span>succeeded as well with mature fish, that had -been killed for the purpose of procuring the -roe and melt, these having been mixed together -in cold water immediately after they -were taken out of the body. I have had this -experiment tried twice, and with perfect success, -and it offers a very good mode of increasing -to any extent the quantity of trout in -rivers or lakes, for the young ones are preserved -from the attacks of fishes, and other -voracious animals or insects, at the time when -they are most easily destroyed, and perfectly -helpless. The same plan, I have no doubt, -would answer equally well with grayling or -other varieties of the salmo genus. But in -all experiments of this kind, the great principle -is, to have a constant current of fresh and -aerated water running over the eggs. The -uniform supply of air to the fœtus in the egg -is essential for its life and growth, and such -eggs as are not supplied with water saturated -with air are unproductive. The experimenter -must be guided exactly by the instinct of the -parent fishes, who take care to deposit the impregnated -eggs, that are to produce their offspring, -only in sources continually abounding in fresh -and aerated water.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_88'>88</span><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—But as every species of fish has a particular -and usually different time for spawning, I -do not see how it could be contrived to cross -their breeds, or how the ova of a trout, which -spawns in December, could be impregnated by -the seminal fluid of the grayling, which spawns -in May; for I conclude it would be impossible -to preserve the eggs of a fish out of the body in a -state in which they could retain or recover their -vitality.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I believe I mentioned before, that I had -found instances, in which the ova of fish were -developed at a different period from their natural -one; and I have no doubt, that a little inquiry -respecting the habits of fishes would enable us to -acquire a knowledge of the circumstances, which -either hasten or retard their maturity. Plenty of -food and a genial season hasten the period of -their reproduction, which is delayed by want of -proper nourishment, and by unfavourable weather. -Males and females likewise, confined from each -other, have their generative powers impeded; -and trout, grayling, and salmon, will not deposit -their ova except in running water; so that by -keeping them in tanks, the period of their maturity -might be considerably altered. I have seen -char even, which had been kept in confined water -<span class='pageno' id='Page_89'>89</span>from September till July; and so slow had -been the progress of the ova, that they appeared -to be about this time fit for exclusion, though, in -the natural course of things, they would have been -ripe in the end of October of the year before. By -attending to and controlling all these circumstances, -I have no doubt many interesting experiments -might be made, as to the possibility of -modifying the varieties of the salmo, by impregnating -the ova of one species with the seminal -fluid of another. With fishes of other genera the -task would be still more easy. Carp, perch, and -pike, deposit their ova in still water in spring -and summer, when it is supplied with air by the -growth of vegetables: and it is to the leaves -of plants, which afford a continual supply of -oxygen to the water, that the impregnated eggs -usually adhere; so that researches of this kind -might be conducted within doors in close -vessels, filled with plants, exposed to the sun. -I have myself kept minnows and sticklebacks -alive for many months in the same confined -quantity of water, containing a few confervæ; -and their ova and melt increased in the same -manner, as if they had been in their natural -situation.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_90'>90</span><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—I conclude from your statements, -Halieus, that nothing more is required for the -production of fishes from impregnated eggs, -than a constant supply of water of a certain -temperature furnished with air; and of course -the same principles will apply to fishes of the -sea.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—There can be no doubt of it: and -fishes in spawning time always approach great -shallows, or shores covered with weeds, that, -in the process of their growth, under the influence -of the sunshine, constantly supply pure -air to the water in contact with them.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—In every thing belonging to the -economy of nature, I find new reasons for -wondering at the designs of Providence,—at -the infinite intelligence by which so many -complicated effects are produced by the most -simple causes. The precipitation of water from -the atmosphere, its rapid motion in rivers, and -its falls in cataracts, not only preserve this -element pure, but give it its vitality, and render -it subservient even to the embryo life of the -fish; and the storms which agitate the ocean, -and mingle it with the atmosphere, supply at -once food to marine plants, and afford a principle -<span class='pageno' id='Page_91'>91</span>of life to the fishes which inhabit its depths. -So that the perturbation and motion of the -winds and waves possess a use, and ought -to impress us with a beauty higher and more -delightful even than that of the peaceful and -glorious calm.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_92'>92</span> - <h2 class='c004'>THIRD DAY.<br /> <br />HALIEUS—POIETES—ORNITHER—PHYSICUS.<br /> <br />SCENE—DENHAM.</h2> -</div> - -<h3 class='c010'><i>Morning.</i></h3> - -<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—<span class='sc'>You</span> will soon take your leave, gentlemen, -of this agreeable villa, but we must catch -at least two brace of trout, to carry with us to -London as a present for two worthy patrons of -the angle. For though I know our liberal -host will have a basket of fish packed up for -each of our party, yet fish taken this morning -will be imagined a more acceptable present -than those caught yesterday. The May-fly is -already upon the water, though not in great -quantity, and it will consequently be more easy -to catch the fish, which I see are rising with -great activity. I advise you to go to the deep -water below, where you will find the largest -fish, and I will soon follow you.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_93'>93</span><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I hope I shall catch a large fish,—a -companion to that which Ornither took -yesterday with a natural fly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>[<i>Halieus leaves them fishing, and returns -to the house; but soon comes back and joins -his companions, whom he finds fishing below -in the river.</i>]</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Well, gentlemen, what sport?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—The fish are rising every where; -but though we have been throwing over them -with all our skill for a quarter of an hour, yet -not a single one will take, and I am afraid we -shall return to breakfast without our prey.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I will try; but I shall go to the -other side, where I see a very large fish rising. -There!—I have him at the very first throw. -Land this fish, and put him into the well. -Now I have another; and I have no doubt -I could take half a dozen in this very place, -where you have been so long fishing without -success.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—You must have a different fly; or -have you some unguent or charm to tempt the -fish?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—No such thing. If any of you will -<span class='pageno' id='Page_94'>94</span>give me your rod and fly, I will answer for it, -I shall have the same success. I take your -rod, Physicus.—And lo! I have a fish!</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—What can be the reason of this? -It is perfectly inexplicable to me. Yet Poietes -seems to throw as light as you do, and as well -as he did yesterday.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I am surprised, that you, who are a -philosopher, cannot discover the reason of this. -Think a little.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>All.</span>—We cannot.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—As you are my scholars, I believe -I must teach you. The sun is bright, and -you have been, naturally enough, fishing -with your backs to the sun, which, not being -very high, has thrown the shadows of your -rods and yourselves upon the water, and you -have alarmed the fish, whenever you have -thrown a fly. You see I have fished with -my face towards the sun, and though inconvenienced -by the light, have given no alarm. -Follow my example, and you will soon have -sport, as there is a breeze playing on the -water.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—Your sagacity puts me in mind -of an anecdote which I remember to have -heard respecting the late eloquent statesman, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_95'>95</span>Charles James Fox; who, walking up Bond-street -from one of the club-houses with an -illustrious personage, laid him a wager, that -he would see more cats than the Prince in -his walk, and that he might take which side -of the street he liked. When they got to the -top, it was found, that Mr. Fox had seen thirteen -cats, and the Prince not one. The royal -personage asked for an explanation of this apparent -miracle, and Mr. Fox said, “Your Royal -Highness took, of course, the shady side of -the way, as most agreeable; I knew that the -sunny side would be left to me, and cats -always prefer the sunshine.”</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—There! Poietes, by following my -advice you have immediately hooked a fish; -and while you are catching a brace, I will -tell you an anecdote, which as much relates to -fly-fishing as that of Physicus, and affords an -elucidation of a particular effect of light.</p> - -<p class='c006'>A manufacturer of carmine, who was aware -of the superiority of the French colour, went -to Lyons for the purpose of improving his -process, and bargained with the most celebrated -manufacturer in that capital for the -acquisition of his secret, for which he was -to pay a thousand pounds. He was shown -<span class='pageno' id='Page_96'>96</span>all the processes, and saw a beautiful colour -produced, yet he found not the least difference -in the French mode of fabrication and -that which he had constantly adopted. He -appealed to the manufacturer, and insisted -that he must have concealed something. The -manufacturer assured him that he had not, -and invited him to see the process a second -time. He minutely examined the water and -the materials, which were the same as his -own, and, very much surprised, said, “I have -lost my labour and my money, for the air -of England does not permit us to make good -carmine.” “Stay,” says the Frenchman, “do -not deceive yourself: what kind of weather -is it now?” “A bright sunny day,” said -the Englishman. “And such are the days,” -said the Frenchman, “on which I make my -colour. Were I to attempt to manufacture -it on a dark or cloudy day, my result would -be the same as yours. Let me advise you, -my friend, always to make carmine on bright -and sunny days.” “I will,” says the Englishman; -“but I fear I shall make very little in -London.”</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Your anecdote is as much to the -purpose as Physicus’s; yet I am much obliged -<span class='pageno' id='Page_97'>97</span>to you for the hint respecting the effect of -shadow, for I have several times in May and -June had to complain of too clear a sky, and -wished, with Cotton, for</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>A day with not too bright a beam;</div> - <div class='line'>A warm, but not a scorching, sun.</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Whilst we have been conversing, -the May-flies, which were in such quantities, -have become much fewer; and I believe the -reason is, that they have been greatly diminished -by the flocks of swallows, which every -where pursue them: I have seen a single -swallow take four, in less than a quarter of a -minute, that were descending to the water.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I delight in this living landscape! -The swallow is one of my favourite birds, and -a rival of the nightingale; for he cheers my -sense of seeing as much as the other does my -sense of hearing. He is the glad prophet of the -year—the harbinger of the best season: he lives -a life of enjoyment amongst the loveliest forms -of nature: winter is unknown to him; and he -leaves the green meadows of England in autumn, -for the myrtle and orange groves of Italy, and -for the palms of Africa:—he has always objects -of pursuit, and his success is secure. Even the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_98'>98</span>beings selected for his prey are poetical, beautiful, -and transient. The ephemeræ are saved -by his means from a slow and lingering death in -the evening, and killed in a moment, when they -have known nothing of life but pleasure. He is -the constant destroyer of insects,—the friend of -man; and, with the stork and the ibis, may be -regarded as a sacred bird. His instinct, which -gives him his appointed seasons, and teaches him -always when and where to move, may be regarded -as flowing from a Divine Source; and -he belongs to the Oracles of Nature, which speak -the awful and intelligible language of a present -Deity.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_99'>99</span> - <h2 class='c004'>FOURTH DAY.<br /> <br />HALIEUS—POIETES—ORNITHER—PHYSICUS.<br /> <br />FISHING FOR SALMON AND SEA TROUT.</h2> -</div> - -<h3 class='c010'><i>Scene—Loch Maree, West of Rosshire, Scotland.</i><br /> <br /><i>Time—Middle of July.</i></h3> - -<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—<span class='sc'>I begin</span> to be tired. This is really -a long day’s journey; and these last ten miles -through bogs, with no other view than that of -mountains half hid in mists, and brown waters -that can hardly be called lakes, and with no -other trees than a few stunted birches, that look -so little alive, that they might be supposed immediately -descended from the bog-wood, every -where scattered beneath our feet, have rendered -it extremely tedious. This is the most barren -part of one of the most desolate countries I have -ever passed through in Europe; and though the -inn at Strathgarve is tolerable, that of Auchnasheen -is certainly the worst I have ever seen,—and -I hope the worst I shall ever see. We -<span class='pageno' id='Page_100'>100</span>ought to have good amusement at Pool Ewe, to -compensate us for this uncomfortable day’s journey.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I trust we shall have sport, as far as -salmon and sea trout can furnish sport. But -the difficulties of our journey are almost over. -See, Loch Maree is stretched at our feet, and a -good boat with four oars will carry us in four or -five hours to our fishing ground; a time that will -not be misspent, for this lake is not devoid of -beautiful, and even grand scenery.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—The scenery begins to improve; and -that cloud-breasted mountain on the left is of the -best character of Scotch mountains: these woods, -likewise, are respectable for this northern country. -I think I see islands also in the distance: and the -quantity of cloud always gives effect to this kind -of view; and perhaps, without such assistance to -the imagination, there would be nothing even -approaching to the sublime in these countries; -but cloud and mist, by creating obscurity and -offering a substitute for greatness and distance, -give something of an alpine and majestic character -to this region.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—As we are now fixed in our places -in the boat, you will surely put out a rod or -two with a set of flies, or try the tail of the par -<span class='pageno' id='Page_101'>101</span>for a large trout or salmon: our fishing will -not hinder our progress.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—In most other lakes I should do so; -here I have often tried the experiment, but -never with success. This lake is extremely -deep, and there are very few fish which haunt -it generally except char; and salmon seldom -rest but in particular parts along the shore, -which we shall not touch. Our voyage will -be a picturesque, rather than an angling one. -I see we shall have little occasion for the oars, -for a strong breeze is rising, and blowing directly -down the lake; we shall be in it in a -minute. Hoist the sails; On we go!—we -shall make our voyage in half the number of -hours I had calculated upon; and I hope to -catch a salmon in time for dinner.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—The scenery improves as we advance -nearer the lower parts of the lake. The -mountains become higher, and that small island -or peninsula presents a bold, craggy outline; -and the birch wood below it, and the pines -above, form a scene somewhat Alpine in character. -But what is that large bird soaring -above the pointed rock, towards the end of the -lake? Surely it is an eagle!</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Your are right, it is an eagle, and of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_102'>102</span>a rare and peculiar species—the gray or silver -eagle, a noble bird! From the size of the -animal, in must be the female; and her aery is -in that high rock. I dare say the male is not -far off.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I think I see another bird, of a -smaller size, perched on the rock below, which -is similar in form.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—You do: it is the consort of that -beautiful and powerful bird; and I have no -doubt their young ones are near at hand.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Look at the bird! How she dashes -into the water, falling like a rock, and raising -a colume of spray: she has dropped from a -great height. And now she rises again into -the air: what an extraordinary sight!</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—She is pursuing her prey, and is one -of our fraternity,—a catcher of fish. She has -missed her quarry this time, and has soared further -down towards the river, to fall again from a -great height. There! You see her rise with a -fish in her talons.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—She gives an interest to this scene, -which I hardly expected to have found. Pray -are there many of these animals in this country?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Of this species, I have seen but these -two, and I believe the young ones migrate as -<span class='pageno' id='Page_103'>103</span>soon as they can provide for themselves; for -this solitary bird requires a large space to move -and feed in, and does not allow its offspring to -partake its reign, or to live near it. Of other -species of the eagle, there are some in different -parts of the mountains, particularly of the Osprey, -and of the great fishing or brown eagle. -I once saw a very fine and interesting sight -above one of the Crags of Ben Weevis, near -Strathgarve, as I was going, on the 20th of August, -in pursuit of black game. Two parent -eagles were teaching their offspring—two young -birds, the manœuvres of flight. They began by -rising from the top of a mountain in the eye of -the sun (it was about midday, and bright for -this climate). They at first made small circles, -and the young birds imitated them; they paused -on their wings, waiting till they had made their -first flight, and then took a second and larger -gyration,—always rising towards the sun, and -enlarging their circle of flight so as to make a -gradually extending spiral. The young ones -still slowly followed, apparently flying better as -they mounted; and they continued this sublime -kind of exercise, always rising, till they became -mere points in the air, and the young ones were -lost, and afterwards their parents, to our aching -<span class='pageno' id='Page_104'>104</span>sight. But we have touched the shore, and the -lake has terminated: you are now on the river -Ewe.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Are we to fish here? It is a broad -clear stream, but I see no fish, and cannot think -it a good angling river.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—We are nearly a mile above our fishing -station, and we must first see our quarters -and provide for our lodging, before we begin our -fishing: to the inn we have only a short walk.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Why this inn is a second edition of -Auchnasheen.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—The interior is better than the exterior, -thanks to the Laird of Brahan: we shall find -one tolerable room and bed; and we must put up -our cots and provide our food. What is our store, -Mr. Purveyor?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I know we have good bread, tea, and -sugar. Then there is the quarter of roe-buck -presented to us at Gordon Castle; and Ornither -has furnished us with a brace of wild ducks, -three leash of snipes, and a brace of golden -plovers, by his mountain expedition of yesterday; -and for fish we depend on you. Yet our host -says there are fresh herrings to be had, and small -cod-fish, and salmon and trout in any quantity, -and the claret and the Ferintosh are safe.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_105'>105</span><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Why we shall fare sumptuously. As -it is not time yet for shooting grouse, we must -divide our spoil for the few days we shall stay -here. Yet there are young snipes and plovers -on the mountains above, and I have no doubt we -might obtain the Laird’s permission to kill a roe-buck -in the woods or a hart on the mountains; -but this is always an uncertain event, and I advise -you, Ornither, to become a fisherman.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—I shall wait till I see the results of -your skill. At all events, in this country I can -never want amusement, and I dare say there are -plenty of seals at the mouth of the river, and -killing them is more useful to other fishermen -than catching fish.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Let there be a kettle of water with -salt ready boiling in an hour, mine host, for the -fish we catch or buy; and see that the potatoes -are well dressed: the servants will look to the -rest of our fare. Now for our rods.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—This is a fine river; clear, full, but -not too large: with the two handed rod it may -be commanded in most parts.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—It is larger than usual. The strong -wind which brought us so quickly down has -made it fuller; and it is not in such good -<span class='pageno' id='Page_106'>106</span>order for fishing as it was before the wind -rose.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I thought the river was always the -better for a flood, when clear.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Better after a flood from rain; for -this brings the fish up, who know when rain -is coming, and likewise brings down food and -makes the fish feed. But when the water is -raised by a strong wind, the fish never run, as -they are sure to find no increase in the spring -heads, which are their objects in running.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—You give the fish credit for great -sagacity.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Call it instinct rather; for if they -<em>reasoned</em>, they would run with every large -water, whether from wind or rain. What the -feeling or power is, which makes them travel -with rain, I will not pretend to define. But -now for our sport.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—The fish are beginning to rise; I -have seen two here already, and there is a -third, and a fourth—scarcely a quarter of a -minute elapses without a fish rising in some -parts of the pool.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—As the day is dark, I shall use a -bright and rather a large fly with jay’s hackle, -kingfisher’s feather under the wing, and golden -<span class='pageno' id='Page_107'>107</span>pheasant’s tail, and wing of mixed grouse and -argus pheasant’s tail. I shall throw over these -fish: I ought to raise one.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Either you are not skilful, or the -fish know their danger: they will not rise.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I will try another and a smaller fly.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—You do nothing.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I have changed my fly a third time, -yet no fish rises. I cannot understand this. -The water is not in good order, or I should -certainly have raised a fish or two. Now I -will wager ten to one, that this pool has been -fished before to-day.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—By whom?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I know not; but take my wager and -we will ascertain.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—I shall ascertain without the wager -if possible. See, a man connected with the -fishery advances, let us ask him.—There -you see; it has been fished once or twice by -one, who claims without charter the right of -angling.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I told you so. Now I know this, I -shall put on another kind of fly, such as I am -sure they have not seen this day.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—It is very small and very gaudy, I -believe made with humming bird’s feathers.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_108'>108</span><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—No. The brightest Java dove’s -hackle; kingfisher’s blue, and golden pheasant’s -feathers, and the red feathers of the -paroquet. There was a fish that rose and -missed the fly—a sea trout. There, he has -taken it, a fresh run fish, from his white belly -and blue back.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—How he springs out of the water! -He must be 6 or 7lbs.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Under five, I am sure; he will soon -be tired. He fights with less spirit: put the -net under him. There, he is a fine fed sea -trout, between 4 and 5lbs. But our intrusive -brother angler (as I must call him) is coming -down the river to take his evening cast. A -stout Highlander, with a powerful tail,—or, as -we should call it in England, suite. He is -resolved not to be driven off, and I am not sure -that the Laird himself could divert him from -his purpose, except by a stronger tail, and -force of arms; but I will try my eloquence -upon him. “Sir, we hope you will excuse -us for fishing in this pool, where it seems you -were going to take your cast; but the Laird -has desired us to stand in his shoes for a few -days, and has given up angling while we are -here; and as we come nearly a thousand miles -<span class='pageno' id='Page_109'>109</span>for this amusement, we are sure you are too -much of a gentleman to spoil our sport; and -we will take care to supply your fish kettle -while we are here, morning and evening, and -we shall send you, as we hope, a salmon before -night.”</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—He grumbles good sport to us, and -is off with his tail: you have hit him in the -right place. He is a pot fisher, I am sure, -and somewhat hungry, and, provided he gets -the salmon, does not care who catches it!</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—You are severe on the Highland -gentleman, and I think extremely unjust. Nothing -could be more ready than his assent, -and a keen fisherman must not be expected to -be in the best possible humour, when he finds -sport which he believes he has a right to, and -which perhaps he generally enjoys without -interruption, taken away from him by entire -strangers. There is, I know, a disputed point -about fishing with the rod, between him and -the Laird; and it would have been too much -to have anticipated a courteous greeting from -one, who considers us as the representatives of -an enemy. But I see there is a large fish which -has just risen at the tail of the pool. I think he -is fresh run from the sea, for the tide is coming -<span class='pageno' id='Page_110'>110</span>in. My fly and tackle are almost too fine for so -large a fish, and I will put on my first fly with a -very strong single gut link and a stretcher of -triple gut. He has taken my fly, and I hold -him—a powerful fish: he must be between 10 -and 15lbs. He fights well, and tries to get up -the rapid at the top of the pool. I must try my -strength with him, to keep him off that rock, or -he will break me. I have turned him, and he is -now in a good part of the pool: such a fish cannot -be tired in a minute or two, but requires from -ten to twenty, depending upon his activity and -strength, and the rapidity of the stream he moves -against. He is now playing against the strongest -rapid in the river, and will soon give in, -should he keep his present place.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—You have tired him.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—He seems fairly tired: I shall bring -him in to shore. Now gaff him; strike as -near the tail as you can. He is safe; we must -prepare him for the pot.—Give him a stunning -blow on the head to deprive him of sensation, -and then make a transverse cut just below the -gills, and crimp him, by cutting to the bone on -each side, so as almost to divide him into slices: -and now hold him by the tail that he may bleed. -There is a small spring, I see, close under that -<span class='pageno' id='Page_111'>111</span>bank, which I dare say has the mean temperature -of the atmosphere in this climate, and is -much under 50°—place him there, and let him -remain for ten minutes; then carry him to the -pot, and before you put in a slice let the water -and salt boil furiously, and give time to the water -to recover its heat before you throw in another; -and so proceed with the whole fish: leave -the head out, and throw in the thickest pieces -first.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—Why did you not crimp your trout?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—We will have him fried. Our poacher -prevented me from attending to the preparation; -but for frying he is better not crimped, as he is -not large enough to give good transverse slices.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—This salmon is a good fish, and fresh -as you said from the sea. You see the salt-water -louse adheres to his sides, and he is bright -and silvery, and a thick fish; I dare say his -weight is not less than 14lbs., and I know of no -better fish for the table than one of that size.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—It appears to me that so powerful a -fish ought to have struggled much longer: yet, -without great exertions on your part, in ten -minutes he appeared quite exhausted, and lay -on his side as if dying: this induces me to suppose, -that there must be some truth in the vulgar -<span class='pageno' id='Page_112'>112</span>opinion of anglers, that fish are, as it were, -drowned by the play of the rod and reel.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—The vulgar opinion of anglers on this -subject I believe to be perfectly correct: though, -to apply the word drowning to an animal that -lives in the water is not quite a fit use of language. -Fish, as you ought to know, respire by -passing water, which always holds common air -in solution, through their gills or bronchial membrane, -by the use of a system of muscles surrounding -the fauces, which occasion constant -contractions and expansions, or openings and -closings of this membrane, and the life of the -fish is dependant on the process in the same -manner as that of a quadruped is on inspiring -and expiring air. When a fish is hooked in the -upper part of the mouth by the strength of the -rod applied as a lever to the line, it is scarcely -possible for him to open the gills as long as this -force is exerted, particularly when he is moving -in a rapid stream; and when he is hooked in -the lower jaw, his mouth is kept closed by the -same application of the strength of the rod, so -that no aerated water can be inspired. Under -these circumstances he is quickly deprived of his -vital forces, particularly when he exhausts his -strength by moving in a rapid stream. A fish, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_113'>113</span>hooked in a part of the mouth where the force of -the rod will render his efforts to respire unavailing, -is much in the same state as that of a deer -caught round the neck by the lasso of a South -American peon, who gallops forwards, dragging -his victim after him, which is killed by strangulation -in a very short time. When fishes are -hooked foul, that is, on the outside of the -body, as in the fins or tail, they will often -fight for many hours, and in such cases very -large salmon are seldom caught, as they retain -their powers of breathing unimpaired; and -if they do not exhaust themselves by violent -muscular efforts, they may bid defiance to the -temper and the skill of the fisherman. A -large salmon, hooked in the upper part of -the mouth in the cartilage or bone, will sometimes -likewise fight for a long while, particularly -if he keep in the deep and still parts -of the river: for he is able to prevent the -force of the hook, applied by the rod, from interfering -with his respiration, and by a powerful -effort, can maintain his place, and continue -to breathe in spite of the exertions of the angler. -A fish, in such case, is said to be sulky, and his -instinct, or his sagacity, generally enables him -to conquer his enemy. It is, however, rarely -<span class='pageno' id='Page_114'>114</span>that fishes hooked in the mouth are capable of -using freely the muscles subservient to respiration; -and their powers are generally, sooner or -later, destroyed by suffocation.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—The explanation that you have -just been giving us of the effects of playing -fish, I confess alarms me, and makes me more -afraid than I was before, that we are pursuing -a very cruel amusement; for death by strangling, -I conceive, must be very laborious, slow, -and painful.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I think as I did before I was an -angler, as to the merciless character of field-sports; -but I doubt if this part of the process -of the fly-fisher ought so strongly to alarm -your feelings. As far as analogies from warm-blooded -animals can apply to the case, the -death that follows obstructed respiration is -quick, and preceded by insensibility. There -are many instances of persons who have recovered -from the apparent death produced by -drowning, and had no recollection of any violent -or intense agony; indeed, the alarm or -passion of fear generally absorbs all the sensibility, -and the physical suffering is lost in -the mental agitation. I can answer from -my own experience, that there is no pain -<span class='pageno' id='Page_115'>115</span>which precedes the insensibility occasioned by -breathing gasses unfitted for supporting life, -but oftener a pleasurable feeling, as in the case -of the respiration of nitrous oxide. And in the -suffocation produced by the gradual abstraction -of air in a close room where charcoal is burning, -we have the record of the son of a celebrated -chymist, that the sensation which precedes the -deep sleep that ends in death is agreeable. -There is far more pain in recovering from the -insensibility produced by the abstraction of air -than in undergoing it, as I can answer from my -own feelings; and it is, I believe, quite true, -what has been asserted, that the pain of being -born, which is acquiring the power of respiration, -is greater than that of dying, which is losing the -power.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—I have heard, that persons, who have -been recovered from the insensibility produced -by hanging, have never any recollection of the -sufferings which preceded it; and as the blood -is immediately determined to the head in this -operation, probably apoplectic insensibility is -almost instantaneous.</p> - -<p class='c006'>There is on record a very remarkable trial -respecting the death of an Italian, who was for -many years in the habit of being hanged for the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_116'>116</span>purpose of producing the temporary excitement -of organs that had lost their power, and who ultimately -fell a victim to this depraved and dangerous -practice; but I will not dwell upon this -case, which is well authenticated, and which is -equally revolting to good feelings and delicacy.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—The laws of nature are all directed by -Divine Wisdom for the purpose of preserving life -and increasing happiness. Pain seems in all -cases to precede the mutilation or destruction of -those organs which are essential to vitality, and -for <em>the end</em> of preserving them; but the mere process -of dying seems to be the falling into a deep -slumber; and in animals, who have no fear of -death dependent upon imagination, it can hardly -be accompanied by very intense suffering. In -the human being, moral and intellectual motives -constantly operate in enhancing the fear of death, -which, without these motives in a reasoning being, -would probably become null, and the love -of life be lost upon every slight occasion of pain -or disgust; but imagination is creative with -respect to both these passions, which, if they -exist in animals, exist independent of reason, -or as instincts. Pain seems intended by an -all-wise Providence to prevent the <em>dissolution</em> -of organs, and cannot follow their <em>destruction</em>. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_117'>117</span>I know several instances in which the process -of death has been observed, even to its termination, -by good philosophers; and the instances -are worth repeating: Dr. Cullen, when -dying, is said to have faintly articulated to one -of his intimates, “I wish I had the power of -writing or speaking, for then I would describe -to you how pleasant a thing it is to die.” Dr. -Black, worn out by age and a disposition to -pulmonary hemorrhage, which obliged him to -live very low, whilst eating his customary meal -of bread and milk, fell asleep, and died in so -tranquil a manner, that he had not even spilt -the contents of the spoon which he held in his -hand. And the late Sir Charles Blagden, whilst -at a social meal with his friends, Mons. and -Mad. Berthollet and Gay-Lussac, died in his -chair so quietly, that not a drop of the coffee -in the cup which he held in his hand was -spilt.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Give us no more such instances, -for I do not think it wise to diminish the love -of life, or to destroy the fear of death.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—There is no danger of this. These -passions are founded on immutable laws of -our nature, which philosophy cannot change; -and it would be good if we could give the same -<span class='pageno' id='Page_118'>118</span>security of duration to the love of virtue and the -fear of vice or shame, which are connected -with immutable interests, and which ought to -occupy far more the consideration of beings -destined for immortality.—But to our business.</p> - -<p class='c006'>Now we have fish for dinner, my task is -finished: Physicus and Poietes, try your skill. -I have not fished over the best parts of this -pool: you may catch a brace of fish here before -dinner is ready.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—It is too late, and I shall go and -see that all is right.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I will take one or two casts; but -give me your fly: I like always to be sure that -the tackle is taking.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Try at first the very top of the pool,—though -I fear you will get nothing there; -but here is a cast which I think the Highlander -can hardly have commanded from the other -side, and which is rarely without a good fish. -There, he rose: a large trout of 10lbs., or a -salmon. Now wait a few minutes. When a -fish has missed the fly, he will not rise again till -after a pause—particularly if he has been for -some time in the fresh water. Now try him -again. He has risen, but he is a dark fish that -has been some time in the water, and he tries to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_119'>119</span>drown the fly with a blow of his tail. I fear you -will not hook him except foul, when most likely -he would break you. Try the bottom of the -pool, below where I caught my fish.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I have tried all the casts, and nothing -rises.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Come, we will change the fly for that -which I used.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Now I have one: he has taken the -fly under water, and I cannot see him.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Straighten your line, and we shall soon -see him. He is a sea trout, but not a large one.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—But he fights like a salmon, and must -be near 5lbs.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Under 3lbs.; but these fish are always -strong and active, and sometimes give more sport -than larger fish. Shorten your line, or he will -carry you over the stones and cut the link gut. -He is there already: you have allowed him to -carry out too much line; wind up as quick as -you can, and keep a tight hand upon him. He -is now back to a good place, and in a few minutes -more will be spent. I have the net. There, he -is a sea trout of nearly 3lbs. This will be a good -addition to our dinner: I will crimp him, that -you may compare boiled sea trout with broiled, -and with salmon. Now, if you please, we will -<span class='pageno' id='Page_120'>120</span>cool this fish at the spring, and then go to our -inn.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—If you like. I am endeavouring to -find a reason for the effect of crimping and cold -in preserving the curd of fish. Have you ever -thought on this subject?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Yes: I conclude that the fat of -salmon between the flakes of the muscles is -mixed with much albumen and gelatine, and -is extremely liable to decompose, and by keeping -it cool, the decomposition is retarded; and -by the boiling salt and water, which is of -a higher temperature than that of common -boiling water, the albumen is coagulated, and -the curdiness preserved. The crimping, by -preventing the irritability of the fibre from -being gradually exhausted, seems to preserve -it so hard and crisp, that it breaks under the -teeth; and a fresh fish not crimped is generally -tough. A friend of mine, an excellent angler, -has made some experiments on the fat of fish; -and he considers the red colour of trout, salmon, -and char, as owing to a peculiar coloured -oil, which may be extracted by alcohol; and -this accounts for the want of it in fish that -have fed ill, and after spawning. In general, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_121'>121</span>the depth of the red colour and the quantity -of curd are proportional.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Would not the fish be still better, -or at least possess more curd, if caught in a -net and killed immediately? In the operation -of tiring by the reel there must be considerable -muscular exertion, and I should suppose expenditure -of oily matter.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—There can be no doubt but the fish -would be in a more perfect state for the table -from the nets; yet a fish in high season does -not lose so much fat during the short time he -is on the hook, as to make much difference; and -I am not sure, that the action of crimping after -does not give a better sort of crispness to the -fibre. This, however, may be fancy; we will -discuss the matter again at table. See! our -companion on the lake, the eagle, is coming -down the river, and has pounced upon a fish -in the pool near the sea.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I fear he will interfere with our -sport: let us request Ornither to shoot him. -I wish to see him nearer, and to preserve him -as a specimen for the Zoological Society.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—O! no. He will not spoil our sport; -and I think it would be a pity to deprive this -spot of one of its poetical ornaments. Besides, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_122'>122</span>the pool where he is now fishing contains -scarcely any thing but trout; it is too shallow -for salmon, who run into the cruives.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I am of your opinion, and shall -use my eloquence to prevent Ornither from -attempting the life of so beautiful a bird; so -majestic in its form, so well suited to the -scenery, and so picturesque in all its habits.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>The Innkeeper.</span>—Gentlemen, dinner is -ready.</p> - -<h3 class='c010'>THE DINNER.</h3> - -<p class='c016'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Now take your places. What think -you of our fish?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I never ate better; but I want the -Harvey or Reading sauce.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Pray let me intreat you to use no -other sauce than the water in which he was -boiled. I assure you this is the true Epicurean -way of eating fresh salmon: and for -the trout, use only a little vinegar and mustard,—a -sauce <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">à la Tartare</span></i>, without the -onions.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Well, nothing can be better; and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_123'>123</span>I do not think fresh net-caught fish can be -superior to these.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—And these snipes are excellent. -Either my journey has given me an appetite, -or I think they are the best I ever tasted.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—They are good, but I have tasted -better.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Where?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—On the continent; where the common -snipe, that rests during its migration from -the north to the south in the marshes of Italy -and Carniola, and the double or solitary snipe, -become so fat, as to resemble that bird, which -was formerly fattened in Lincolnshire, the ruff; -and they have, I think, a better flavour from -being fed on their natural food.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—At what time have you eaten them?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—I have eaten them both in spring -and autumn; but the autumnal birds are the -best, and are like the ortolan of Italy.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Where does the double snipe winter?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—I believe in Africa and Asia Minor. -They are rarely seen in England, except driven -by an east wind in the spring, or a strong -north wind in the autumn. Their natural -progress is to and from Finland and Siberia, -through the continent of Europe, to and from -<span class='pageno' id='Page_124'>124</span>the east and south.<a id='r5' /><a href='#f5' class='c012'><sup>[5]</sup></a> In autumn they pass -more east, both because they are aided by -<span class='pageno' id='Page_125'>125</span>west winds, and because the marshes in the -east of Europe are wetter in that season; and -in spring they return, but the larger proportion -through Italy, where they are carried by the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_126'>126</span><i><span lang="it" xml:lang="it">Sirocco</span></i>, and which at that time is <em>extremely wet</em>. -Come, let us have another bottle of claret: a -pint per man is not too much after such a day’s -fatigue.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—You have made me president for these -four days, and I forbid it. A half pint of wine -for young men in perfect health is enough, and -you will be able to take your exercise better, and -feel better for this abstinence. How few people -calculate upon the effects of constantly renewed -fever, in our luxurious system of living in England! -The heart is made to act too powerfully, -the blood is thrown upon the nobler parts, and, -with the system of wading adopted by some -sportsmen, whether in shooting or fishing, is delivered -either to the hemorrhoidal veins, or, what -is worse, to the head. I have known several -free livers, who have terminated their lives by -apoplexy, or have been rendered miserable by -palsy, in consequence of the joint effects of cold -feet and too stimulating a diet; that is to say, as -much animal food as they could eat, with a pint -or perhaps a bottle of wine per day. Be guided -by me, my friends, and neither drink nor wade. -I know there are old men who have done both, -and have enjoyed perfect health; but these are -<em>devil’s decoys</em> to the unwary, and ten suffer for -<span class='pageno' id='Page_127'>127</span>one that escapes. I could quote to you an instance -from this very county, in one of the -strongest men I have ever known. He was not -intemperate, but he lived luxuriously, and waded -as a salmon fisher for many years in this very -river; but before he was fifty, palsy deprived -him of the use of his limbs, and he is still a living -example of the danger of the system which -you are ambitious of adopting.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—Well, I give up the wine, but I intend -to wade in Hancock’s boots to-morrow.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Wear them, but do not wade in -them. The feet must become cold in a stream -of water constantly passing over the caoutchouc -and leather, notwithstanding the thick stockings. -They are good for keeping the feet -warm, and I think where there is exercise, as -in snipe shooting, they may be used without any -bad effects. But I advise no one to stand still -(which an angler must do sometimes) in the -water, even with these ingenious water-proof -inventions. All anglers should remember old -Boerhaave’s maxims of health, and act upon -them: “Keep the feet warm, the head cool, -and the body open.”</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I am sorry we did not examine -more minutely the weight and size of the fish -<span class='pageno' id='Page_128'>128</span>we caught, and compare the anatomy of the -salmon and the sea trout; but we were in too -great a hurry to see them on the table, and -our philosophy yielded to our hunger.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—We shall have plenty of opportunities -for this examination; and we can now walk -down to the fishing-house and see probably -half a hundred fish of different sizes, that have -been taken in the cruives, this evening, and -examine them at our leisure.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>All.</span>—Let us go!</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I never saw so many fish of this -kind before; and I conclude that heap of -smaller fish is composed of trout.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Certainly. Let us compare one of -the largest trout with a salmon. I have selected -two fresh run fish, which, from their curved -lower jaws, are, I conclude, both males. The -salmon you see is broader, has a tail rather -more forked, and the teeth in proportion are -rather smaller. The trout, likewise, has larger -and more black brown spots on the body; and -the head of the trout is a little larger in proportion. -The salmon has 14 spines in the -pectoral fins, 10 in each of the ventral, 13 in the -anal, 21 in the caudal, and 15 in the dorsal. -The salmon measures 38½ inches in length -<span class='pageno' id='Page_129'>129</span>and 21 inches in girth, and his weight, as you -see, is 22¼lbs. The trout has one spine less -in the pectoral, and two less in the anal fin, and -measures 30¼ inches in length, and 16 inches -in girth, and his weight is 11lbs. We will now -open them. The stomach of the salmon, you -perceive, contains nothing but a little yellow -fluid, and, though the salmon is twice as large, -does not exceed much in size that of the trout. -The stomach of the trout, unlike that of the -salmon, will be found full of food: we will -open it. See, there are half digested sand -eels which come out of it.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—But surely the stomachs of salmon -must sometimes, when opened, contain food?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I have opened ten or twelve, and -never found any thing in their stomachs but -tape-worms, bred there, and some yellow fluid; -but, I believe, this is generally owing to their -being caught at the time of migration, when -they are travelling from the sea upwards, and -do not willingly load themselves with food. -Their digestion appears to be very quick, and -their habits seem to show, that after having -taken a bait in the river they do not usually -seek another, till the work of digestion is nearly -performed: but when they are taken at sea, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_130'>130</span>and in rivers in the winter, food, I am told, -is sometimes found in their stomachs. The sea -trout is a much more voracious fish, and, like -the land trout, is not willingly found with an -empty stomach.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I presume the sea trout is the fish -called by Linnæus, in his Fauna, <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">Salmo Eriox</span></i>?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I know not: but I should rather -think that fish a variety of the common salmon.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—But there are surely other species of -salmon, that live in the sea and come into our -rivers: I have heard of fish called <em>grays</em>, <em>bull -trout</em>, <em>scurfs</em>, <em>morts</em>, <em>peales</em>, and <em>whitlings</em>.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I have never been able to identify -more than the <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">salmo salar</span></i>, or salmon, and -<i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">salmo trutta</span></i>, or sea trout, in the rivers of -Britain and Ireland. The whitlings I believe -to be the young of the sea trout. A sea trout -which I saw in Ireland, called a bull trout, was -of the same kind as these you see here, but -fresh water trout are sometimes carried in floods -to the sea, and come back larger and altered -in colour and form, and are then mistaken for -new species: and as each river possesses a -peculiar variety belonging to it, this, with differences -depending upon food and size, will, I -think, account for the peculiarities of particular -<span class='pageno' id='Page_131'>131</span>fish, without the necessity of supposing them -distinct species. I remember many years ago, -the first time I ever fished for salmon in spring -in the Tweed, I caught with the fly, one fine -morning in March, two fish nearly of the same -length: one was a male of the last season, -that had lost its melt; the other a female fresh -from the sea. They were so unlike, that they -did not appear of the same species: the spent -or kipper salmon was long and lean, showing -an immense head, spotted all over with black -and brown spots, and the belly almost black; -the other bright and silvery, without spots, -and the head small. Even the pectoral and -anal fins had more spines in the newly run fish, -some of the smaller ones having been probably -rubbed off in spawning by the other. I would -not for some time, till assured by an experienced -fisherman, believe, that the spent fish -was a salmon; and when their flesh was compared -on the table, one was white, flabby, and -bad, and without curd; the other of the brightest -pink, and full of dense curd. Then, though -of the same length, one weighed only 4lbs., the -other 9½lbs. When it is recollected, that different -salmon and sea trout spawn at different -times in the same river, and that fish of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_132'>132</span>same year, being born at different seasons, from -Christmas to Lady-day,—and having migrated -to the sea in spring—run up the rivers of all -sizes in summer and autumn—the young salmon -from 2 to 10lbs. in weight, the young -sea trout from ½ to 3lbs. in weight—it is not -difficult to account for the variety of names -given by casual observers to individuals of -these two species. But I must not forget my -promise of sending a fish to the Highlander, -with whose sport we have interfered. There -is a good salmon, which shall be taken to him -immediately, and for which I shall pay the -taxman his usual price of 5<i>d.</i> per pound.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_133'>133</span> - <h2 class='c004'>FIFTH DAY.<br /> <br />HALIEUS—POIETES—ORNITHER—PHYSICUS.</h2> -</div> - -<h3 class='c010'>MORNING.</h3> - -<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—<span class='sc'>Well</span>, is your tackle all ready? It is -a fine fresh and cloudy morning, with a gentle -breeze—a day made for salmon fishing.</p> - -<p class='c005'>[<i>They proceed to the river</i>.]</p> -<p class='c005'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Now, my friends, I give up the two -best pools to you till one o’clock; and I shall -amuse myself above and below—probably with -trout fishing. As there is a promise of a mixed -day, with—what is rare in this country—a -good deal of sunshine, I will examine your -flies a little, and point out those I think likely -to be useful; or rather, I will show you my -flies, and, as you all have duplicates of them, -you can each select the fly which I point out, -and place in it a part of the book where it may -<span class='pageno' id='Page_134'>134</span>easily be found. First: when the cloud is on, -I advise the use of one of these three golden -twisted flies, with silk bodies, orange, red and -pale blue, with red, orange, and gray hackle, -golden pheasant’s hackle for tail, and kingfisher’s -blue and golden pheasant’s brown -hackle under the wing; beginning with the -brightest fly, and changing to the darker one. -Should the clouds disappear, and it become -bright, change your flies for darker ones, of -which I will point out three:—a fly with a -brown body and a red cock’s hackle, one with -a dun body and black hackle and light wing, -and one with a black body, a hackle of the same -colour, and a brown mallard’s wing. All these -flies have, you see, silver twist round their -bodies, and all kingfisher’s feather under the -wing, and golden pheasant’s feather for the -tail. For the size of your flies, I recommend -the medium size, as the water is small to-day; -but trying all sizes, from the butterfly -size of a hook of half an inch in width, to one -of a quarter. Now, Physicus, cast your orange -fly into that rapid at the top of the pool; I saw -a large fish run there this moment. You fish -well, were common trout your object; but, in -salmon fishing, you must alter your manner -<span class='pageno' id='Page_135'>135</span>of moving the fly. It must not float quietly -down the water; you must allow it to sink a -little, and then pull it back by a gentle jerk—not -raising it out of the water,—and then let it -sink again, till it has been shown in motion, a -<a id='little'></a>little below the surface, in every part of your -cast. That is right,—he has risen.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I hold him. He is a noble fish!</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—He is a large grilse, I see by his -play; or a young salmon, of the earliest born -this spring. Hold him tight; he will fight -hard.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—There! he springs out of the water! -Once, twice, thrice, four times! He is a merry -one!</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—He runs against the stream, and will -soon be tired,—but do not hurry him. Pull -hard now, to prevent him from running round -that stone. He comes in. I will gaff him for -you. I have him! A goodly fish of this tide. -But see, Poietes has a larger fish at the bottom -of the great pool, and is carried down by him -almost to the sea.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I cannot hold him! He has run -out all my line.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I see him: he is hooked foul, and I -fear we shall never recover him, for he is going -<span class='pageno' id='Page_136'>136</span>out to sea. Give me the rod,—I will try and -turn him; and do you run down to the entrance -of the pool, and throw stones, to make -him, if possible, run back. Ay! that stone has -done good service; he is now running up into -the pool again. Now call the fisherman, and -tell him to bring a long pole, to keep him if -possible from the sea. You have a good assistant, -and I will leave you, for tiring this fish -will be at least a work of two hours. He is -not much less than 20lbs. and is hooked under -the gills, so that you cannot suffocate him by -a straight line. I wish you good fortune; but -should he turn sulky, you must not allow him -to rest, but make the fisherman move him with -the pole again; your chance of killing him -depends upon his being kept incessantly in -action, so that he may exhaust himself by -exercise. I shall go and catch you some river -trout for your dinner;—but I am glad to see, -before I take my leave of you, that Ornither -has likewise hold of a fish,—and, from his -activity, a lusty sea trout.</p> -<p class='c005'>[<i>He goes, and returns in the afternoon</i>.]</p> -<p class='c005'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Well, Poietes, I hope to see your -fish of 20lbs.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_137'>137</span><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Alas! he broke me,—turned sulky, -and went to the bottom; and when he was -roused again, my line came back without the -fly; so that I conclude he had cut my links -by rubbing them against some sharp stone. -But I have caught two grilses and a sea -trout since, and lost two others, salmons or -grilses, <a id='that'></a>that fairly got the hooks out of their -mouths.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—And, Ornither, what have you done? -Well, I see,—a salmon, a grilse, and a sea trout. -And Physicus?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I have lost three fish; one of which -broke me, at the top of the pool, by running -amongst the rocks; and I have only one small -sea trout.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Your fortune will come another day. -Why, you have not a single crimped fish for -dinner, and it is now nearly two o’clock; and -you have been catching for the picklers, for -those fish may all go to the boiling-house. I -must again be your purveyor. Can you point -out to me any part of this pool where you have -not fished?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>All.</span>—No.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Then I have little chance.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—O yes! you have a charm for catching -fish.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_138'>138</span><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Let me know what flies you have -tried, and I may perhaps tell you if I have -a chance. With my small bright humming -bird, as you call it, I will make an essay.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—But this fishery is really very -limited; and two pools for four persons a -small allowance.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—If you could have seen this river -twenty years ago, when the cruives were a -mile higher up, then you might have enjoyed -fishing. There were eight or ten pools, of -the finest character possible for angling, where -a fisherman of my acquaintance has hooked -thirty fish in a morning. The river was then -perfect, and it might easily be brought again -into the same state; but even as it is now, with -this single good pool and this second tolerable -one, I know no place where I could, in the -summer months, be so secure of sport as here—certainly -no where in Great Britain.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I have often heard the Tay and -the Tweed vaunted as salmon rivers.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—They were good salmon rivers, and -are still very good, as far as the profit of the -proprietor is concerned; but, for angling, they -are very much deteriorated. The net fishing, -which is constantly going on, except on Sundays -<span class='pageno' id='Page_139'>139</span>and in close time, suffers very few fish -to escape; and a Sunday’s flood offers the -sole chance of a good day’s sport, and this -only in particular parts of these rivers. I -remember the Tweed and the Tay in a far -better state. The Tweed, in the late Lord -Somerville’s time, always contained taking-fish -after every flood in the summer. In the -Tay, only ten years ago, at Mickleure, I was -myself one of two anglers who took eight fine -fish,—three of them large salmon,—in a short -morning’s fishing: but now, except in spring -fishing, when the fish are little worth taking, -there is no certainty of sport in these rivers; -and one, two, or three fish (which last is of -rare occurrence,) are all even an experienced -angler can hope to take in a day’s skilful and -constant angling.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—You have fished in most of the -salmon rivers of the north of Europe,—give us -some idea of the kind of sport they afford.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I have fished in some, but perhaps -not in the best; for this it is necessary to go -into barbarous countries—Lapland, or the extreme -north of Norway; and I have generally -loved too much the comforts of life to make -any greater sacrifices than such as are made -<span class='pageno' id='Page_140'>140</span>in our present expedition. I have heard the -river at Drontheim boasted of as an excellent -salmon river,—and I know two worthy anglers -who have tried it; but I do not think they -took more fish in a day than I have sometimes -taken in Scotland and Ireland. All the Norwegian -rivers that I tried (and they were in -the south of Norway) contained salmon. I -fished in the Glommen, one of the largest -rivers in Europe; in the Mandals, which appeared -to me the best fitted for taking salmon; -the Arendal and the Torrisdale;—but, though -I saw salmon rise in all these rivers, I never -took a fish larger than a sea trout; of these I -always caught many—and even in the <em>fiords</em>, or -small inland salt-water bays; but I think never -any one more than a pound in weight. It -is true, I was in Norway in the beginning of -July, in exceedingly bright weather, and when -there was no night; for even at twelve o’clock -the sky was so bright, that I read the smallest -print in the columns of a newspaper. I was -in Sweden later—in August: I fished in the -magnificent Gotha, below that grand fall Trolhetta, -which to see is worth a voyage from -England: but I never raised there any fish -worth taking: yet a gentleman from Gothenburg -<span class='pageno' id='Page_141'>141</span>told me he had formerly taken large -trout there. I caught, in this noble stream, -a little trout about as long as my hand; and -the only fish I got to eat at Trolhetta was -bream. The Falkenstein, a darker water, very -like a second-rate Scotch river—say the Don—abounds -in salmon; and there I had a very -good day’s fishing. I took six fish, which -gave me great sport; they were grilses, under -6lbs; but I lost a salmon, which I think was -above 10lbs. This river, I conceive, must be, -generally, excellent; it is not covered with -saw-mills, like most of the Norwegian rivers; -its colour is good, and it is not so clear as the -rivers of the south of Norway.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—Do you think the saw-mills hurt -the fishing?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I do not doubt it. The immense -quantity of sawdust which floats in the water, -and which forms almost hills along the banks, -must be poisonous to the fish, by sometimes -choking their gills, and interfering with their -respiration. I have never fished for salmon -in Germany. The Elbe and the Weser, when -I have seen them, were too foul for fly fishing; -and in the Rhine, in Switzerland, and -its tributary streams, I have never seen a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_142'>142</span>salmon rise. I once hooked a fish, under the -fall at Schaffausen, which in my youthful -ardour I thought was a salmon, but it turned -out to be an immense chub—a villanous and -provoking substitute. And our islands, as -far as I know, may claim the superiority over all -other lands for this species of amusement. In -England it is, however, a little difficult to get -a day’s salmon fishing. The best river I -know of is the Derwent, that flows from the -beautiful lake of Keswick; and I caught once, -in October, a very large salmon there, and -raised another; but it is only late in the -autumn, that there is any chance of sport, -though I have heard the spring salmon fishing -boasted of. At Whitwell, in the Hodder, -I have heard of salmon and sea trout being -taken—but I have never fished in that river. -The late Lord Bolinbroke caught many salmon -at Christchurch; but a fish a week is as -much as can be expected in that beautiful, but -scantily stocked, river. Small salmon and sea -trout, or sewens, as they are called in the -country, may be caught, after the autumnal -floods, I believe, in most of the considerable -Welsh, Devonshire, and Cornish streams; but -I have fished in many of them without success. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_143'>143</span>The Conway I may except: this river, -in the end of October, will sometimes, after a -great flood, furnish a good day’s sport, and, -if the net fishers could be set aside, several -days’ sport. I have known two salmon, one -above 20lbs., taken here in a day; and I have -taken myself fine sea trout, or <em>sewens</em>,—which, -in an autumnal flood in Wales, are found in -most of the streams near the sea.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I have heard a Northumberland man -boast of the rivers of that county, as affording -good salmon fishing.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I have no doubt that salmon are sometimes -caught in the Tyne, the Coquet, and the -Till; but, in the present state of these rivers, -this is a rare occurrence. I was once, for a -week, on a good run of the North Tyne; I fished -sometimes, but I never saw a salmon rise; -and the only place in this river, where, from my -own knowledge, I can assert salmon have been -caught with the artificial fly, was at Mounsey, -very high up the river. There, in 1820, two -grilses were caught, in the end of August. I -have recorded this as a sort of historical occurrence; -and I dare say most of the counties of -England, in which there are salmon rivers, -would, upon a minute inquiry, furnish such -<span class='pageno' id='Page_144'>144</span>instances, if they contained salmon fishers. -Yorkshire, Devonshire, and Cornwall, with the -sea on both sides, ought to furnish a greater -number.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—Give us some little account of the -Scotch and Irish rivers.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I fear I shall tire you by attempting -any details on this subject, for they are so -many, that I ought to take a map in my hands; -but I will say a few words on those in which -I have had good sport. First, the Tweed:—of -this, as you will understand from what I -mentioned before, I fear I must now say -“<em>fuit</em>.” Yet still, for spring salmon fishing, -it must be a good river. The last great sport -I had in that river was in 1817, in the beginning -of April. I caught, in two or three -hours, at Merton, four or five large salmon, -and as many in the evening at Kelso—and -one of them weighed 25lbs. But this kind of -fishing cannot be compared to the summer fishing: -the fish play with much less energy, and -in general are in bad season; and the fly used -for fishing is almost like a bird—four or five -times larger than the summer fly, and the -coarsest tackle may be employed. I have -heard, that Lord Home has sometimes taken -<span class='pageno' id='Page_145'>145</span>thirty fish in a day, in spring fishing. About, -and above Melrose, I have taken, in a morning -in July, two or three grilses; and in -September the same number. I have known -eighteen taken earlier, by an excellent salmon -fisher, at Merton; and the late Lord Somerville -often took six or seven fish in a day’s angling. -The same “<em>fuit</em>” I must apply to most of the -Scotch rivers. Of the Tay I have already -spoken. In the Dee I have never caught salmon, -though I have fished in two parts of it, -but it was in bad seasons. In the Don I have -seen salmon rise, and hooked one, but never -killed a fish. In the Spey I enjoyed one of -the best days’ sport (perhaps the very best) I -ever had in my life: it was in the beginning of -September, in close time; the water was low, -and as net fishing had been given over for -some days, the lower pools were full of fish. -By a privilege, which I owed to the late Duke -of Gordon, I fished at this forbidden time, and -hooked twelve or thirteen fish in one day. -One was above 30lbs., but it broke me by the -derangement of my reel. I landed seven or -eight,—one above 20lbs., which gave me great -play in the rapids above the bridge. I returned -to this same spot in 1813, the year -<span class='pageno' id='Page_146'>146</span>after: the river was in excellent order, and it -was the same time of the year, but just after a -flood,—I caught nothing; the fish had all run -up the river; the pools, where I had such -sport the year before, were empty. I have -fished there since, with a like result,—but -this was before the 12th of August, the close -day. In the Sutherland and Caithness rivers, -many salmon, I have no doubt, may still be -caught. The Brora, Sutherland, in 1813 and -1814, was an admirable river: I have often -rode from the mansion of the princely and -hospitable lord and lady of that county, after -breakfast, and returned at two or three o’clock, -having taken from three to eight salmon—several -times eight. There were five pools -below the wears of the Brora, which always -contained fish; and at the top of one pool, -which from its size was almost inexhaustible, -I have taken three or four salmon the same -day. Another pool, nearer the sea, was -almost equal to it; and at that time I should -have placed the Brora above the Ewe for certainty -of sport. When I fished there last, in -1817, the case was altered, and I caught only -two or three fish in the very places where I -had six years before been so successful. In -<span class='pageno' id='Page_147'>147</span>the Helmsdale there are some good pools, and -I have caught fine fish there when the river -has been high. I have fished in the river at -Thurso, but without success—it was always -foul when I made my attempt. I have heard -of a good salmon river in Lord Reay’s county, -the Laxford; its name, of Norwegian origin, -would seem to be characteristic.<a id='r6' /><a href='#f6' class='c012'><sup>[6]</sup></a> Along the -coast of Scotland, most of the streams, if taken -at the right time, afford sport. In this county -the Beauly is a good river, and I have caught -salmon in that very beautiful spot below the -falls of <a id='kil'></a>Kilmarnock. The Ness, at Inverness, -and the Awe and Lochy, I have fished in, but -without success. I may say the same of the -Ayr, and of the rivers which empty themselves -into the Solway Frith. A little preserved -stream, at Ardgowan, was formerly excellent, -after a flood in September, for sea trout, and -later for salmon: I have had good sport there, -and some of my friends have had better.</p> - -<p class='c006'>In Ireland there are some excellent rivers; -and, what you will hardly believe possible, -comparing the characters of the two nations, -some of them are taken better care of than the -Scotch river; which arises a good deal from -<span class='pageno' id='Page_148'>148</span>the influence of the Catholic priests, when -they are concerned in the interests of the proprietors, -on the Catholic peasantry. I should -place the Erne, at Ballyshannon, as now the -first river, for salmon fishing from the banks -with a rod, in the British dominions; and the -excellent proprietor of it, Dr. Shiel, is liberal -and courteous to all gentlemen fly fishers. -The Moy, at Ballina, is likewise an admirable -salmon river; and sport, I believe, may almost -always be secured there in every state of the -waters; but the best fishing can only be commanded -by the use of a boat. I have taken in -the Erne two or three large salmon in the -morning; and in the Moy, three or four grilses, -or, as they are called in Ireland, <em>grauls</em>; and -this was in a very bad season for salmon fishing. -The Bann, near Coleraine, abounds in -salmon: but, in this river, except in close time, -when it is unlawful to fish there, there are few -good casts. In the Bush, a small river about -seven miles to the east of the Bann, there is -admirable salmon fishing, always after great -floods; but in fine and dry weather it is of -little use to try. I have hooked twenty fish -in a day, after the first August floods, in this -river; and, should sport fail, the celebrated -<span class='pageno' id='Page_149'>149</span>Giant’s Causeway is within a mile of its mouth, -and furnishes to the lovers of natural beauty, -or of geological research, almost inexhaustible -sources of interest. The Blackwater, at Lismore, -is a very good salmon river: and the -Shannon, above Limerick and at Castle Connel, -whenever the water is tolerably high, offers -many good casts to the fly fisher; but they -can only be commanded by boats. But there -is no considerable river along the northern -or western coast,—with the exception of the -Avoca, which has been spoiled by the copper -mines,—that does not afford salmon, and if -taken at the proper time, offer sport to the -salmon fisher.—But it is time for us to return -to our inn.</p> - -<h3 class='c010'>THE INN.</h3> - -<p class='c016'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Should it be a fine day to-morrow, -I think we shall have good sport: the high -tide will bring up fish, and the rain and wind -of yesterday will have enlarged the river.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—To-morrow we must not fish: it is -the Lord’s day, and a day of rest. It ought -likewise to be a day of worship and thanksgiving -to the Great Cause of all the benefits -<span class='pageno' id='Page_150'>150</span>and blessings we enjoy in this life, for which -we can never sufficiently express our gratitude.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I cannot see what harm there can -be in pursuing an amusement on a Sunday, -which you <a id='you'></a>yourself have called innocent, and -which is apostolic: nor do I know a more appropriate -way of returning thanks to the Almighty -Cause of all being, than in examining -and wondering at his works in that great -temple of nature, whose canopy is the sky; -and where all the beings and elements around -us are as it were proclaiming the power and -wisdom of Deity.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I cannot see how the exercise of -fishing can add to your devotional feelings; but, -independent of this, you employ a servant to -carry your net and gaff, and he, at least, has a -right to rest on this one day. But even if you -could perfectly satisfy yourself as to the abstracted -correctness of the practice, the habits of the -country in which we now are, form an insurmountable -obstacle to the pursuit of the amusement: -by indulging in it, you would excite the -indignation of the Highland peasants, and might -perhaps expiate the offence by a compulsory -ablution in the river.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_151'>151</span><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I give up the point: I make it a -rule never to shock the prejudices of any person, -even when they appear to me ridiculous; and I -shall still less do so in a case where your authority -is against me; and I have no taste for -undergoing persecution, when the cause is a -better one. I now remember, that I have often -heard of the extreme severity with which the -sabbath discipline is kept in Scotland. Can you -give us the reason of this?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I am not sufficiently read in the -Church History of Scotland to give the cause -historically; but I think it can hardly be doubted, -that it is connected with the intense feelings of -the early Covenanters, and their hatred with -respect to all the forms and institutes of the -church of Rome, the ritual of which makes the -Sunday more a day of innocent recreation than -severe discipline.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—Yet the disciples of Calvin, at Geneva, -who, I suppose, must have hated the pope -as much as their brethren of Scotland, do not so -rigidly observe the Sunday; and I remember -having been invited by a very religious and -respectable Genevese to a shooting party on -that day.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_152'>152</span><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I think climate and the imitative -nature of man modify this cause abroad. Geneva -is a little state, in a brighter climate than -Scotland, almost surrounded by Catholics, and -the habits of the French and Savoyards must -influence the people. The Scotch, with more -severity and simplicity of manners, have no such -examples of bad neighbours, for the people of -the north of England keep the Sunday much in -the same way.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Nay, Halieus, call them not bad -neighbours; recollect my creed, and respect at -least, what, if error, was the error of the western -Christian world for 1000 years. The rigid -observance of the seventh day appears to me -rather a part of the Mosaic, than of the Christian -dispensation. The Protestants of this -country consider the Catholics bigots, because -they enjoin to themselves and perform certain -penances for their sins; and surely the Catholics -may see a little still more resembling that spirit, -in the interference of the Scotch in innocent -amusements, on a day celebrated as a festive -day, that on which our Saviour rose to immortal -life, and secured the everlasting hopes of the -Christian. I see no reason why this day -should not be celebrated with singing, dancing, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_153'>153</span>and triumphal processions, and all innocent -signs of gladness and joy. I see no reason -why it should be given up to severe and solitary -prayers, or to solemn and dull walks; or why, -as in Scotland, whistling even should be considered -as a crime on Sunday, and humming a -tune, however sacred, out of doors, as a reason -for violent anger and persecution.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—I agree with Poietes, in his views of -the subject. I have suffered from the peculiar -habits of the Scotch church, and therefore -may complain. Once in the north of -Ireland, when a very young man, I ventured -after the time of divine service to put together -my rods, as I had been used to do in the -Catholic districts of Ireland, and fish for sea -trout in the river at Rathmelton, in pure innocence -of heart, unconscious of wrong, when I -found a crowd collect round me—at first I -thought from mere curiosity, but I soon discovered -I was mistaken; anger was their motive, -and vengeance their object. A man soon -came up, exceedingly drunk, and began to -abuse me by various indecent terms: such as -a Sabbath breaking papist, &c. It was in -vain I assured him I was no papist, and no -intentional Sabbath breaker; he seized my rod -<span class='pageno' id='Page_154'>154</span>and carried it off with imprecations; and it -was only with great difficulty, and in exciting -by my eloquence the pity of some women who -were present, and who thought I was an ill-used -stranger, that I recovered my property. -Another time I was walking on Arthur’s Seat, -with some of the most distinguished professors -of Edinburgh attached to the geological opinions -of the late Dr. Hutton; a discussion took -place upon the phenomena presented by the rocks -under our feet, and, to exemplify a principle, -Professor Playfair broke some stones, in which -I assisted the venerable and amiable philosopher. -We had hardly examined the fragments, -when a man from a crowd, who had been -assisting at a field preaching, came up to us -and warned us off, saying, “Ye think ye are -only stane breakers; but I ken ye are Sabbath -breakers, and ye deserve to be staned with -your ain stanes!”</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Zeal of every kind is sometimes -troublesome, yet I generally suspect the persons, -who are <em>very</em> tolerant, of scepticism. -Those who firmly believe, that a particular -plan of conduct is essential to the eternal welfare -of man, may be pardoned if they show even -<em>anger</em>, when this conduct is not pursued. The -<span class='pageno' id='Page_155'>155</span>severe observance of the Sabbath is connected -with the vital creed of these rigid presbyterians; -it is not therefore extraordinary, that they should -enforce it even with a perseverance that goes -beyond the bounds of good manners and courtesy. -They may quote the example of our -Saviour, who expelled the traders from the -temple even by violence.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I envy no quality of the mind or -intellect in others; be it genius, power, wit, or -fancy: but if I could choose what would be -most delightful, and I believe most useful to -me, I should prefer a firm religious belief to -every other blessing; for it makes life a discipline -of goodness; creates new hopes, when -all earthly hopes vanish; and throws over the -decay, the destruction of existence, the most -gorgeous of all lights; awakens life even in -death, and from corruption and decay calls up -beauty and divinity; makes an instrument of -torture and of shame the ladder of ascent to -paradise: and, far above all combinations of -earthly hopes, calls up the most delightful -visions of palms and amaranths, the gardens -of the blest, the security of everlasting joys, -where the sensualist and the sceptic view only -gloom, decay, annihilation, and despair!</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_156'>156</span><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—You transiently referred, Halieus, -yesterday, to that instinct of salmons which -induces them to run up rivers from the sea on -the approach of rain. You have had so many -opportunities of attending to the instincts of -the inferior animals, that I should be very -glad to hear your opinion on that very curious -subject, the nature and developement of instincts -in general.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—You must remember, that, in the conversation -to which you allude, I avoided even -to pretend to define the nature of instinct; but -I shall willingly discuss the subject; and I -expect from yourself, Ornither and Physicus, -more light thrown upon it than I can hope to -bestow.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—I believe we have each a peculiar -view on this matter. In discussion we may -enlighten and correct each other. For myself, -I consider instincts merely as results of -organization, a part of the machinery of organized -forms. Man is so constituted, that -his muscles acquire their power by habit; their -motions are at first automatic, and become -voluntary by associations, so that a child must -learn to walk as he learns to swim or write; -but in the colt or chicken, the limbs are formed -<span class='pageno' id='Page_157'>157</span>with the powers of motion; and these animals -walk as soon as they have quitted the womb -or the egg.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I believe it possible, that they may -have acquired these powers of motion in the -embryo state; and I think I have observed, -that birds learn to fly, and acquire the use of -their wings, by continued efforts, in the same -manner as a child does that of his limbs.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—I cannot agree with you: the legs -of the fœtus are folded up in the womb of the -mare; and neither the colt nor the chicken -can ever have performed, in the embryo state, -any motions of their legs similar to those -which they have perfectly at their command -when born. Young birds cannot fly as soon -as they are hatched, because they have no -wing feathers; but as soon as these are developed, -and even before they are perfectly -strong, they use their wings, fly, and quit their -nests without any education from their parents. -Compare a young quail, when a few days old, -with a child of as many months: he flies, runs, -seeks his food, avoids danger, and obeys the -call of his mother; whilst a child is perfectly -helpless, and can perform few voluntary motions: -has barely learnt to grasp, and can -<span class='pageno' id='Page_158'>158</span>neither stand nor walk. But to see the most -perfect instance of instinct, as contrasted with -acquired knowledge, look at common domestic -poultry, as soon as they are excluded from the -egg: they run round their mother, nestle in -her feathers, and obey her call, without education: -she leads them to some spot where -there is soft earth or dung, and instantly begins -scratching with her feet; the chickens watch -her motions with the utmost attention; if an -earthworm or larva is turned up, they instantly -seize and devour it, but they avoid eating -sticks, grass, or straws; and though the hen -shows them the example of picking up grain, -they do not imitate her in this respect, but for -some days prefer ants, or the larvæ of ants, to -a barley corn. They may have heard the -cluck of their mother in the egg, and having -felt the warmth of her feathers agreeable, you -may consider, Physicus, their collecting under -her wings, and obeying her call, as an acquired -habit. But I will mention another circumstance -where habit or education is entirely out of the -question. Does the mother see the shadow of -a kite on the ground, or hear his scream in the -air, she instantly utters a shrill suppressed cry; -the chickens, though born that day, and searching -<span class='pageno' id='Page_159'>159</span>round her with glee and animation for the -food which her feet were providing for them, -instantly appear as if thunder struck; those -close to her crouch down and hide themselves in -the straw; those further off, without moving -from the place, remain prostrate; the hen looks -upward with a watchful eye; nor do they resume -their feeding till they have been called -again by the cluck of their mother, and warned -that the danger is over.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I certainly cannot explain the acquaintance -of the little animals with the note -of alarm of the mother, except upon the -principle you have adopted; and I fairly own, -that their selection of animal food appears -likewise instinctive: yet it is possible, that this -selection may depend upon some analogy between -the smell of these animal matters and -the yolk, which was for a long time their food -in the egg.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—I find I must multiply examples. -Examine young ducks which have been hatched -under a hen; they no sooner quit the shell, -than they fly to their natural element, the -water, in spite of the great anxiety and terror -of their foster-parent, who in vain repeats that -sound to which her natural children are so obedient. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_160'>160</span>Being in the water, they seize insects -of every kind, which they can only know from -their instincts to be good for food; and when -they are hatched in the May-fly season, they -pursue these large ephemeræ with the greatest -avidity, and make them their favourite food. It -is impossible, I think, to explain these facts, -except by supposing, that they depend upon -feelings or desires in the animals developed -with their organs, which are not acquired, and -which are absolutely instinctive. I will mention -another instance. A friend of mine was travelling -in the interior of Ceylon; on the banks -of a lake he saw some fragments of shells of -the eggs of the alligator, and heard a subterraneous -sound: his curiosity was excited, -and he was induced to search beneath the surface -of the sand: besides two or three young -animals lately come from the shell, he found -several eggs which were still entire: he broke -the shell of one of them, when a young alligator -came forth, apparently perfect in all its -functions and motions; and when my friend -touched it with a stick, it assumed a threatning -aspect, and bit the stick with violence. It made -towards the water, which (though born by -the influence of the sunbeams on the burning -<span class='pageno' id='Page_161'>161</span>sand) it seemed to know was its natural and -hereditary domain. Here is an animal which, -deserted by its parents, and entirely submitted -to the mercy of nature and the elements, must -die if it had to acquire its knowledge; but all -its powers are given, all its wants supplied; and -even its means of offence and defence implanted -by strong and perfect instincts. I will mention -one fact more. Swallows, quails, and many -other birds, migrate in large flocks when their -usual food becomes scarce; and in these cases -it may be said (I anticipate a remark of <a id='phys'></a>Physicus), -that the phenomenon depends upon imitation, -and that the young birds follow the old -ones who have before made the same flight. -But I will select the young cuckoo for an unexceptionable -example of the instinctive nature -of this quality. He is produced from an egg -deposited by his mother in the nest of another -bird, generally the hedge sparrow. He destroys -all the other young ones hatched in the -same nest, and is supplied with food by his -foster-parent, after he has deprived her of all -her natural offspring. Quite solitary, he is no -sooner able to fly than he quits the country of -his birth, and finds his way, with no other -guide than his instinct, to a land where his -<span class='pageno' id='Page_162'>162</span>parents had gone many weeks before him; and -he is not pressed to make this migration by -want of food, for the insects and grains on -which he feeds are still abundant. The whole -history of the <a id='ori'></a>origin, education, and migration -of this singular animal, is a history of a succession -of instincts, the more remarkable, because -in many respects contrary to the usual -order of nature.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I have been accustomed to refer -many of the supposed instincts of animals, such -as migrations, building nests, and selection of -food, to imitation; but, I confess, I cannot -explain the last fact you have brought forward -on this principle. Pray, Ornither, let me state -your view, as I understand it, that we may not -differ as to the meaning of language. I conclude -you adopt Hartley’s view of association, -that the motions of the muscles in man are -first automatic, and become voluntary by association; -and that reason is the application of -voluntary motions for a particular end. For -instance: a child is not afraid of fire, but, -bringing its hand near the fire, it is burnt, and -the convulsions of the muscles produced by -the pain ends in removing the hand from the -source of pain. These motions by association -<span class='pageno' id='Page_163'>163</span>are made voluntary; and after this experiment -he avoids the fire by <em>reason</em>, and takes care -always to perform those motions which remove -his limbs from this destructive agent. But in -contrasting instinct with this slow process, you -would say, most animals, without having felt -the effects of fire, have an innate dread of it; -and in the same way, without having been -taught, or experienced pleasure or pain from -the object, young ducks seek the water, young -chickens avoid it: their organs have a fitness -or unfitness for certain functions, and they -use them for these functions without education. -In short, the instinctive application of the -organ is independent of experience, and forms -part of a train of pure sensations.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—I have no objection to the statement -you make of my view of the subject; but -I certainly should give to it a little more refinement -and generality. In all the results of -reason, ideas are concerned but never in those -of instinct. Without memory there can be no -reason; but in instinct nothing can be traced -but pure sensation.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Though in the animal world no -ideas seem connected with instincts, yet they -are all intended for specific and intelligent -<span class='pageno' id='Page_164'>164</span>ends. Thus the swallow travels to a country -where flies are found; the salmon migrates -from the sea to the sources of fresh rivers, -where its eggs may receive a supply of aerated -water, and without this migration the race would -be extinct: and in this way all the instincts of -animals may be referred to intelligence, which, -though not belonging to the animal, must be -attributed to the Divine Mind. Is it not then -reasonable to refer instinct to the immediate -impulse of the Author of Nature upon his -creatures? His omnipresence and omnipotence -cannot be doubted, and to the infinite mind -the past, the present, and the future are alike; -and creative and conservative power must -equally belong to it.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—That instincts depend upon impulses -immediately derived from the Deity is an -opinion which, though it perhaps cannot be -confuted, yet does not please me so much as -to believe them dependent upon the formation -of organs, and the result of the general laws -which govern the system of the universe; and -it is in favour of this opinion that they are -susceptible of modifications. Thus, in domesticated -animals they are always changed; -the turkey and the duck lose their habits of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_165'>165</span>constructing nests, and the goose does not -migrate. In supposing them the result of -organization and hereditary, they might be -expected to be changed by circumstances, as -they are actually found to be. Without referring -the instincts of animals to the immediate -impulse of the Deity, they appear to me to -offer the most irresistible and convincing argument -that can be brought forward against -atheism. They demonstrate combinations, the -result of the most refined intelligence, which -can only be considered as infinite. Take any -one of the lowest class of animals, insects for -instance, not only is their organization fitted -to all their wants; but their association in -society is provided for, and the laws of a perfect -social community, as it were, are adopted -by beings, that we are sure cannot reason. In -the hive bee, for instance, the instinct of the -workers leads them to adopt and obey a queen; -and if she is taken away from them, or dies, -they have the power of raising another from -offspring in the cells by an almost miraculous -process: they work under her government for -a common object, allow males only to exist for -the purpose of impregnating females, who preserve -the society, and under whose government -<span class='pageno' id='Page_166'>166</span>they send forth swarms, which readily -place themselves under the protection of man. -In the geometrical construction of their cells, -the secretion of wax from their bodies, the -collecting their food, and the care of the brood, -there is a series of results which it requires a -strong reason to follow, and which are the -consequences of invariable instincts. Bees, -since they have been noticed by naturalists, -have the same habits, and, as it is probable -that there have been many thousand of generations -since the creation, it is evident, that the -instincts of the first bees have been hereditary -and invariable in their offspring; and it cannot -be doubted, that they do now, as they did -four thousand years ago, make some cells in -combs larger than others for the purpose of -containing the eggs and future grubs of drones, -that are to be produced by a grub, which -they are educating for a queen bee; and that -these cells are connected with the common cells -by a series, in which the most exact geometrical -laws of transition are observed. An -eminent philosopher has deduced an argument -in favour of the existence of Deity from the -analogy of the universe to a piece of mechanism, -which could only be the work of an -<span class='pageno' id='Page_167'>167</span>intelligent mind; but there is this difference: -in all the productions of nature, the principle, -not only of perfection, but likewise of conservation, -is found, marking a species of intelligence -and power which can be compared -to nothing human. The first created swarm -of bees contained beings provided with all -the instincts necessary for the perpetual continuance -of the species; and some of these -instincts can scarcely be understood by man, -requiring the most profound geometrical knowledge, -even to calculate their results; and <em>other -instincts</em> involve what in human society would -be the most singular state of policy, combining -contrasted moral causes and contradictory interests. -It is impossible not to be lost in awe -at the contemplation of this chain of facts; -the human mind cannot fail to acknowledge -in them the strongest proofs of their being -produced by infinite wisdom and unbounded -power; and the devout philosopher can scarcely -avoid considering with respect a little insect, -endowed with faculties producing combinations, -which human reason vainly attempts to -imitate, and can scarcely understand.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I agree with you, that if instinct -be supposed the result of organization, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_168'>168</span>that the first animal types were so created as -to transmit their instincts invariably, generation -after generation, it does offer a most triumphant -and incontrovertible argument for -the existence of an all-powerful intelligent -Cause.—Even in the instance which led to -this conversation, the instinct which carries -salmon from the sea to the sources of rivers, -it is only lately philosophers have discovered, -that the impregnated eggs cannot <a id='produce'></a>produce -young fishes independent of the influence -of air; and thus an animal goes many hundred -miles under the direction of an instinct, the use -of which human reason has at length developed, -and man is supplied with an abundant food -by the result of a combination, in consequence -of which a species is preserved.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I do not understand, Halieus, -your objections to the view I have adopted, -which is sanctioned by the authority of a -good ethic philosopher, Addison. Allowing the -omnipresence and constant power of Deity, I -do not see how you can avoid admitting his -actual interference in all the phenomena of -living nature.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—As I said before, I cannot <em>confute</em> -your view; but, upon this principle, gravitation -<span class='pageno' id='Page_169'>169</span>and the motion of the planets round the sun, -and all the other physical phenomena of the -universe, would be owing to the immediate -action of the Divinity. I prefer the view, -which refers them to motion and properties, -the results of general laws impressed on matter -by Omnipotence. This view is, I think, simpler; -but it is difficult to form any distinct -opinion on so high and incomprehensible a -subject, on which, perhaps, after all, it is wiser -to confess our entire ignorance, and to bow -down in humble adoration to the one incomprehensible -Cause of all being.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I agree with you in your last sentence, -but I still adhere to my own view, and -I hope you will not object to a favourite -opinion of mine, that instincts are to animals -what revelation is to man, intended to supply -wants in their physical constitution, which in -man are provided for by reason; and that revelation -is to him as an instinct, teaching him -what reason cannot—his religious duties, the -undying nature of his intellectual part, and -the relations of his conduct to eternal happiness -and misery.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—“Davus sum, non Œdipus.” I will -not attempt to discuss this view of yours, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_170'>170</span>Poietes; but I think I may say, that all the -instincts of animals seem to be connected with -pleasure; and in man the feeling of love and -the gratifying the appetites, which approach -nearest to instincts, are likewise highly delightful, -and perhaps there is no more pleasurable -state of the human mind than when, -with intense belief, it looks forward to another -world and to a better state of existence, or is -absorbed in the adoration of the supreme and -eternal intelligence.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_171'>171</span> - <h2 class='c004'>SIXTH DAY.<br /> <br />HALIEUS—POIETES—ORNITHER—PHYSICUS.</h2> -</div> - -<h3 class='c010'>MORNING.</h3> -<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—<span class='sc'>Well</span> met, my friends! It is a fine -warm morning, there is a fresh breeze, the -river is in excellent order for fishing, and I -trust our good behaviour yesterday will ensure -us sport to-day. There must be a great many -fresh run fish in the pool; and after twenty-four -hours’ rest, some of those that were indisposed -to take on Saturday evening, may -have acquired appetite. Prepare your tackle, -and begin: but whilst you are preparing, I will -mention a circumstance which every accomplished -fly fisher ought to know. You changed -your flies on Saturday with the change of -weather, putting the dark flies on for the -bright gleams of the sun, and the gaudy flies -<span class='pageno' id='Page_172'>172</span>when the dark clouds appeared: now, I will -tell you of another principle, which it is as -necessary to know as the change of flies for -change of weather; I allude to the different -kinds of fly to be used in particular pools, and -even for particular parts of pools. You have -fished in this deep pool; and if you were to -change it for a shallower one, such as that -above, it would be proper to use smaller flies -of the same colour; and in a pool still deeper, -larger flies; likewise in the rough rapid at the -top, a larger fly may be used than below at -the tail of the water: and in the Tweed or -Tay, I have often changed my fly thrice in the -same pool, and sometimes with success—using -three different flies for the top, middle, and bottom. -I remember, that when I first saw Lord -Somerville adopt this fashion, I thought there -was fancy in it; but experience soon proved -to me how accomplished a salmon fisher was -my excellent and lamented friend, and I adopted -the lesson he taught me, and with good results, -in all bright waters.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I will try the correctness of your -principle. Look at the fly now on my line; -where would you recommend me to cast it?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—It is a large gaudy fly, and is fit for -<span class='pageno' id='Page_173'>173</span>no part of this pool, except the extremely -rough head of the torrent: there I dare say it -will take in <em>this</em> state of the waters.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Good, I hooked a large fish, but -alas! he is off: Yet I thought he was fairly -caught.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—The hook, I think, turned round at -the moment you struck, and carried off some -scales from the outside of his mouth.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—You are right: see, the scales are -on the hook. I cannot raise another fish: I -have tried almost all over the pool. I thought -I saw a fish rise at the tail of the rapid.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—You did: he refused the fly. Now -put on a fly one third of the size and of the -same colour, and I think you will hook that -fish.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I have done so—and he is fast; -and a fine fish; I <a id='think'></a>think a salmon.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—It is a salmon, and one above 10lbs. -Play him with care, and do not let him run -into the rough part of the stream, where the -large stones are.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—It is, I think, the most active fish -I have yet played with. See how high he -leaps! He is making for the sea.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Hold him tight, or you will lose him.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_174'>174</span><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Fear me not. I trust, in spite of -his strength, I shall turn him. You see, I -show him the but of the rod, and his force is -counterpoised by a very long lever.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—You do well. But he has made a -violent spring, and, I fear, is off.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—He is!—but not, I think, by any -fault of mine: he has carried off something.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—You played that fish so well, that I -am angry at his loss: either the hook, link, or -line, failed you.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—It is the hook, which you see is -broken, and not merely at the barb, but likewise -in the shank. What a fool I was ever -to use one of these London or Birmingham -made hooks.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—The thing has happened to me often. -I now never use any hooks for salmon fishing, -except those which I am sure have been made -by O’Shaughnessy, of Limerick; for even -those made in Dublin, though they seldom -break, yet they now and then bend; and the -English hooks, made of cast steel in imitation -of Irish ones, are the worst of all. <em>There</em> is a -fly nearly of the same colour as that which is -destroyed; and I can tell you, that I saw it -made at Limerick by O’Shaughnessy himself, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_175'>175</span>and tied on one of his own hooks. Should you -catch with it a fish even of 30lbs. I will answer -for its strength and temper: it will neither break -nor bend.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Whilst I am attaching your present, -so kindly made, to my line, pray tell me -how these hooks are made, for I know you -interested yourself in this subject when at -Limerick.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Most willingly. I have even made -a hook, which, though a little inferior in form, -in other respects, I think, I could boast as -equal to the Limerick ones. The first requisite -in hook-making is to find good malleable -iron of the softest and purest kind—such -as is procured from the nails of old horse-shoes. -This must be converted by cementation -with charcoal into good soft steel, and that -into bars or wires of different thickness for -different sized hooks, and then annealed. For -the larger hooks, the bars must be made in -such a form as to admit of cutting the barbs; -and each piece, which serves for two hooks, -is larger at the ends, so that the bar appears -in the form of a double pointed spear, three, -four, or five inches long: the bars for the -finer hooks are somewhat flattened. The artist -<span class='pageno' id='Page_176'>176</span>works with two files, one finer than the -other for giving the point and polishing the hook, -and he begins by making the barb, taking care -not to cut too deep, and filing on a piece of -hard wood, such as box wood, with a dent to -receive the bar, made by the edge of the file. -The barb being made, the shank is thinned -and flattened, and the polishing file applied -to it; and by a turn of the wrist round a circular -pincers, the necessary degree of curvature -is given to it. The hook is then cut from the -bar, heated red hot, by being kept for a moment -in a charcoal fire; then plunged, while -hot, into cold water; then tempered, by being -put on iron, that has been heated in the same -fire till it becomes a bright blue, and, whilst still -hot, it is immersed in candle-grease, where it -gains a black colour; it is then finished.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—Nothing seems simpler than this -process. Surely London might furnish manufacturers -for so easy a manipulation; and I -should think one of our friends, who is so admirable -a cutler, might even improve upon the -Irish process; at least the tempering might be -more scientifically arranged; for instance, by -the thermometer, and a bath of fusible metal, -the temperature at which steel becomes blue -<span class='pageno' id='Page_177'>177</span>being 580° Fahrenheit, might be constantly -preserved.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Habit teaches our Irish artists this -point with sufficient precision. We should -have such hooks in England, but the object -of the fishing tackle makers is to obtain them -cheap, and most of their hooks are made to -sell, and good hooks cannot be sold but at a -good price.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I have heard formerly a good -angler complain, that the Limerick hooks were -too heavy and clumsy. He preferred hooks -made at Kendal in Cumberland.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I saw, twenty years ago, hooks far too -heavy made at Limerick; but this O’Shaughnessy -is, I think, a better maker than his father -was, and the curve and the general form of the -hook is improved. It has now, I think, nearly -the best form of a curve for catching and holding, -the point protruding a little. The Kendal -hook holds well, but is not so readily fixed by -the pull in the mouth of the fish. The early -Fellows of the Royal Society, who attended to -all the useful and common arts, even improved -fish hooks; and Prince Rupert, an active member -of that illustrious body, taught the art of -tempering hooks to a person of the name of -Kirby; under whose name, for more than a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_178'>178</span>century, very good hooks were sold. I shall -take a walk towards the lake to enjoy a view -of its cloud-capped mountains, and I hope to -find, on my return, that you have all had your -satisfaction in a good day’s salmon fishing.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—We shall crimp and cool a salmon, -if we catch a good one, for our dinner.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Do so.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—But before you leave us, I wish you -would be good enough to inform us why the -salmon here are so different from those I have -seen elsewhere: for instance, some caught in -the Alness, in Rosshire, which we saw in passing -round the south coast of Ross. These -appear to me thicker and brighter fish, and one -that I measured was 30 inches long, and 17 in -circumference.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I think I have seen broader fish than -even those of this river; but the salmon which -you happen to remember for comparison, belonged -to a small stream, which, I think, in -general, are thinner and longer than those in -great rivers; and what I mentioned on a former -occasion with respect to trout holds good likewise -with regard to salmon; each river has a -distinct kind. It is scarcely possible to doubt, -that the varieties of the salmon, which haunt -<span class='pageno' id='Page_179'>179</span>the sea, come to the same rivers to breed in -which they were born, or where they have -spawned before. And this could hardly happen -unless they confined their migrations to a certain -space in the sea, the boundaries of which -may be regarded as the shore and probably -deep water, which may be considered as effectual -a limit almost as land; for fish do not willingly -haunt <em>very</em> deep water, which even in -summer is of low temperature, approaching to -40°, and contains little or no vegetable food or -insects, which the smaller fishes search for, -and the larger fishes follow the smaller. It is -however possible, that in winter, all fish fond -of heat will seek water rather deeper than in -summer; and char and umbla in lakes are -usually found in the deepest parts, being fond -of <em>cool</em> water, and they come to spawn whenever -the shallow water of the lakes becomes -cool, in October or November. We cannot -judge of the senses of animals that breathe -water,—that separate air from water by their -gills; but it seems probable, that, as the quality -of the water is connected with their life and -health, they must be exquisitely sensible to -changes in water, and must have similar relations -to it, that an animal with the most delicate -<span class='pageno' id='Page_180'>180</span>nasal organs has to air. A vulture or a -dog scents not only particular food and particular -game at great distances, but even makes -of the smell a kind of language; and I doubt -not, that when dogs, that have been blindfolded -and carried away from their home, return to -it, it is by the sense of smelling: to them each -town, lane, or field, must have a particular -scent. And I have seen even a blind horse, -an animal in which the sense of smelling is -less acute, evidently find his way by it to his -master’s house and stable, which was, indeed, -near a tan-yard. The state of parts of water, -in the sea or great lakes, produced by the impregnations -carried down by particular streams, -is much more permanent than a <em>like state</em> in -air: so that though the knowledge given by -the nasal organs may be more easily communicated -at a distance by winds, yet <em>that</em> -produced by streams on the bronchiæ of fishes -is more invariable, and a migratory fish is less -likely to be deceived. Yet in great floods, -often connected with storms, or violent motion -in the waters near the shore, salmon sometimes -mistake their river. I remember in this way, -owing to a tremendous flood, catching with -the fly a large salmon, that had mistaken his -<span class='pageno' id='Page_181'>181</span>river, having come into the Bush, near the -Giant’s Causeway, instead of the Bann. No -fish can be more distinct in the same species -than the fish of these two rivers, their length -to their girth being nearly in a ratio of 20:9 -and 20:13.—I am going; good sport to -you.</p> - -<h3 class='c010'>EVENING.</h3> - -<p class='c016'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I am sure I may congratulate you -on your sport, for I see on the bank a fine -salmon, three grauls or grilses, and three large -sea trout.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—You have not seen all, for we have -crimped two fish—one a large salmon, and -the other a trout almost a yard long, and both -in excellent season. We have had great sport, -and sport even of a kind which you will not -guess at; for, when the tide was falling, the -fish ceased to rise at the fly, and I thought of -trying them with a bait; so we sent for our -swivel tackle, and put par or samlet on our -hooks, as we bait for pike—cutting off one -ventral fin on one side, and one pectoral fin -on the other; and making the par spin in the -most rapid streams, we had several runs from -<span class='pageno' id='Page_182'>182</span>fish, and it was in this way that Poietes -caught this large sea trout, which gave excellent -sport.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—This kind of fishing is not uncommon. -I have often caught salmon in the -Tay, fishing with pars; but though the fish -ran at the bait, when they would not rise at -the fly while the tide was ebbing, they would -have taken the par better still while it was -flowing.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—From my experience to-day, I conclude -the salmon has habits different from the -trout; for I think the fish which broke my -hook rose again at the artificial fly in the same -place.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I think you are mistaken. Salmon -are usually shyer even than trout, and I never -knew one in this season, that had been pricked -even slightly, rise again at the artificial fly in the -same pool. I should say, that their habits were -precisely the same, but with more sagacity on -the side of the salmon. It must have been -another fish that rose at your fly in the same -place. After such severe discipline, I do not -think a fish would rise for many hours, even at a -natural bait.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_183'>183</span><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Your experience is so great, that -I dare say I was mistaken, yet it seemed a fish -of the same size.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Salmon often in this season haunt -the streams in pairs; but so far from rising -again after being pricked, they appear to me -to learn, when they have been some time in -the river, that the artificial fly is not food, -even without having been touched by the -hook. In the river at Galway, in Ireland, I -have seen above the bridge some hundreds of -salmon lying in rapid streams, and from five -to ten fishermen tempting them with every variety -of fly, but in vain. After a fish had been -thrown over a few times, and risen once or -twice and refused the fly, he rarely ever took -any notice of it again in that place. It was generally -nearest the tide that fish were taken, -and the place next the sea was the most successful -stand, and the most coveted; and when -the water is low and clear in this river, the -Galway fishermen resort to the practice of -fishing with a naked hook, endeavouring to -entangle it in the bodies of the fish; a most -unartistlike practice. In spring fishing, I have -known a hungry, half-starved salmon rise at -the artificial fly a second time, after having -<span class='pageno' id='Page_184'>184</span>been very slightly touched by it; but even this -rarely happens, and when I have seen it, the -water has been coloured.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—Can you tell us why the fish rise -better at the fly when the tide is flowing, than -when it is ebbing? There seems no reason -why flies should be sought for by the fish -at one of these seasons, rather than at the -other.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—The turn of the salt water brings -up aquatic insects, and perhaps small fish; -and I suppose salmon know this, and search -for food at a time when it is likely to be -found. I cannot think, that in these pools -they can be on the look-out for flies, for there -are never any on the surface of the water; -and I imagine they take the gaudy fly, with -its blue kingfisher and golden pheasant’s feathers, -for a small fish.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—I have always supposed that they -took it for a libella, or dragon-fly; for I have -often seen these brilliant flies haunting the -water.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I never saw a dragon-fly drop on -the water, or taken by a fish; and salmon -sometimes rise even in the salt water, where -dragon-flies are never found. There is no -<span class='pageno' id='Page_185'>185</span>difficulty in explaining why salmon in inland -rivers should take flies, where natural flies are -abundant; but fish, when they have lain long -in pools in the river and fed on natural flies, -will no longer take these bright flies, and -then even a trout-fly is often most successful. -I have sometimes thought that the rising of -salmon and sea trout at these bright flies, as -soon as they come from the sea into rivers, -might depend upon a sort of imperfect memory -of their early food and habits; for flies form a -great part of the food of the salmon fry, which, -for a month or two after they are hatched, -feed like young trouts—and in March and -April the spring flies are their principal nourishment. -In going back to fresh water, they -may perhaps have their habits of feeding recalled -to them, and naturally search for their -food at the surface.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—This appears to me very probable.—But -it is late, and we must return and compare -the crimped trout and salmon; and I hope -we shall have another good day to-morrow, -for the clouds are red in the west.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I have no doubt of it, for the red -has a tint of purple.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Do you know why this tint <a id='port'></a>portends -fine weather?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_186'>186</span><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—The air, when dry, I believe, refracts -more red, or heat-making, rays; and -as dry air is not perfectly transparent, they -are again reflected in the horizon. I have -generally observed a coppery or yellow sunset -to foretel rain; but, as an indication of wet -weather approaching, nothing is more certain -than a halo round the moon, which is produced -by the precipitated water; and the larger -the circle, the nearer the clouds, and consequently -the more ready to fall.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I have often observed, that the old -proverb is correct—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>A rainbow in the morning is the shepherd’s warning:</div> - <div class='line'>A rainbow at night is the shepherd’s delight.</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c014'>Can you explain this omen?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—A rainbow can only occur when -the clouds containing, or depositing, the rain -are opposite to the sun,—and in the evening -the rainbow is in the east, and in the morning -in the west; and as our heavy rains, in this -climate, are usually brought by the westerly -wind, a rainbow in the west indicates, that -the bad weather is on the road, by the wind, -to us; whereas the rainbow in the east proves, -that the rain in these clouds is passing from us.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_187'>187</span><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I have often observed, that when -the swallows fly high, fine weather is to be -expected or continued; but when they fly low, -and close to the ground, rain is almost surely -approaching. Can you account for this?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Swallows follow the flies and gnats, -and flies and gnats usually delight in warm -strata of air; and as warm air is lighter, and -usually moister, than cold air, when the warm -strata of air are high, there is less chance of -moisture being thrown down from them by -the mixture with cold air; but when the warm -and moist air is close to the surface, it is -almost certain, that, as the cold air flows down -into it, a deposition of water will take place.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I have often seen <a id='gull'></a>sea-gulls assemble -on the land, and have almost always observed, -that very stormy and rainy weather was -approaching. I conclude, that these animals, -sensible of a current of air approaching from -the ocean, retire to the land to shelter themselves -from the storm.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—No such thing. The storm is their -element; and the little petrel enjoys the heaviest -gale, because, living on the smaller sea -insects, he is sure to find his food in the spray -of a heavy wave—and you may see him flitting -<span class='pageno' id='Page_188'>188</span>above the edge of the highest surge. I believe, -that the reason of this migration of seagulls, -and other sea birds, to the land, is their security -of finding food. They may be observed, -at this time, feeding greedily on the -earth worms and larvæ, driven out of the -ground by severe floods; and the fish, on -which they prey in fine weather in the sea, -leave the surface, when storms prevail and go -deeper. The search after food, as we agreed -on a former occasion, is the principal cause -why animals change their places. The different -tribes of the wading birds always migrate when -rain is about to take place; and I remember -once, in Italy, having been long waiting, in -the end of March, for the arrival of the double -snipe in the Campagna of Rome,—a great -flight appeared on the 3d of April, and the -day after heavy rain set in, which greatly interfered -with my sport. The vulture, upon the -same principle, follows armies; and I have no -doubt, that the augury of the ancients was a -good deal founded upon the observation of the -instincts of birds. There are many superstitions -of the vulgar owing to the same source. -For anglers, in spring, it is always unlucky to -see single magpies,—but <em>two</em> may be always -<span class='pageno' id='Page_189'>189</span>regarded as a favourable omen; and the reason -is, that in cold and stormy weather one magpie -alone leaves the nest in search of food, the -other remaining sitting upon the eggs or the -young ones; but when two go out together, -the weather is warm and mild, and thus favourable -for fishing.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—The singular connexions of causes -and effects, to which you have just referred, -make superstition less to be wondered at, particularly -amongst the vulgar; and when two -facts, naturally unconnected, have been accidentally -coincident, it is not singular that this -coincidence should have been observed and -registered, and that omens of the most absurd -kind should be trusted in. In the west of England, -half a century ago, a particular hollow -noise on the sea coast was referred to a spirit or -goblin, called Bucca, and was supposed to foretel -a shipwreck: the philosopher knows, that sound -travels much faster than currents in the air—and -the sound always foretold the approach of a very -heavy storm, which seldom takes place on that -wild and rocky coast, surrounded as it is by the -Atlantic, without a shipwreck on some part of its -extensive shores.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—All the instances of omens you have -<span class='pageno' id='Page_190'>190</span>mentioned are founded on reason; but how can -you explain such absurdities as Friday being an -unlucky day, the terror of spilling salt, or meeting -an old woman? I knew a man, of very high -dignity, who was exceedingly moved by these -omens, and who never went out shooting without -a bittern’s claw fastened to his buttonhole by -a ribband—which he thought ensured him good -luck.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—These, as well as the omens of death -watches, dreams, &c., are for the most part -founded upon some accidental coincidences; -but spilling of salt, on an uncommon occasion, -may, as I have known it, arise from a disposition -to apoplexy, shown by an incipient numbness -in the hand, and may be a fatal symptom; and -persons, dispirited by bad omens, sometimes prepare -the way for evil fortune; for confidence -in success is a great means of ensuring it. The -dream of Brutus, before the field of Philippi, -probably produced a species of irresolution and -despondency, which was the principal cause of -his losing the battle: and I have heard, that the -illustrious sportsman, to whom you referred just -now, was always observed to shoot ill, because -he shot carelessly, after one of his dispiriting -omens.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_191'>191</span><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I have in life met with a few things, -which I found it impossible to explain, either -by chance coincidences or by natural connexions; -and I have known minds of a very -superior class affected by them,—persons in the -habit of reasoning deeply and profoundly.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—In my opinion, profound minds are -the most likely to think lightly of the resources -of human reason: it is the pert, superficial -thinker who is generally strongest in every -kind of unbelief. The deep philosopher sees -chains of causes and effects so wonderfully and -strangely linked together, that he is usually -the last person to decide upon the impossibility -of any two series of events being independent -of each other; and in science, so many natural -miracles, as it were, have been brought to -light,—such as the fall of stones from meteors -in the atmosphere, the disarming a thunder -cloud by a metallic point, the production of -fire from ice by a metal white as silver, and -referring certain laws of motion of the sea to -the moon,—that the physical inquirer is seldom -disposed to assert, confidently, on any -abstruse subjects belonging to the order of -natural things, and still less so on those relating -to the more mysterious relations of moral -events and intellectual natures.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_192'>192</span> - <h2 class='c004'>SEVENTH DAY.<br /> <br />HALIEUS—POIETES—ORNITHER—PHYSICUS.<br /> <br />GRAYLING FISHING.</h2> -</div> - -<h3 class='c010'><i>Scene—Leintwardine, near Ludlow.</i><br /><i>Time—Beginning of October.</i></h3> -<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—<span class='sc'>You</span> have reached your quarters. -Here is your home—a rural, peaceable, and -unassuming inn, with as worthy a host and -hostess as may be found in this part of the -country. The river glides at the bottom of the -garden, and there is no stream in England -more productive of grayling. The surrounding -scenery is not devoid of interest, and the -grounds in the distance are covered with stately -woods, and laid out (or rather their natural -beauties developed) by the hand of a master, -whose liberal and enlightened mind even condescended -to regard the amusements of the -angler; and he could hardly have contributed -in a more effectual manner to their <a id='comfort'></a>comforts, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_193'>193</span>than by placing the good people, who were -once his servants, in this comfortable inn.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—Are we to fish according to any -rule, as to quantity or size of fish?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—You are at perfect liberty to fish as -you like; but as it is possible you may catch -grayling only of this year, and which are not -longer than the hand, I conclude you will -return such pigmies to the river, as a matter of -propriety, though not of necessity.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—This river <a id='seem'></a>seems formed of two -other streams, which join above our inn. -What are the names of its sources?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—The small river to the left is called -the Teme, or Little Teme, and though the -least stream, it gives name to the river: the -other, and more copious stream, is called the -Clun. The Little Teme contains principally -trout; the Clun, both trout and grayling: but -the fish are more abundant in the meadows, -between this place and Downton, than in -other parts of the river; for above, the stream -is too rapid and shallow to be favourable to -their increase; and below, it is joined by -other streams, and becomes too abundant in -coarse fish.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I cannot understand why the grayling -<span class='pageno' id='Page_194'>194</span>should be so scarce a fish in England. It -is abundant in many districts on the continent; -but in this island it is found, I believe, only -in a few rivers, and does not exist, I think, -either in Ireland or Scotland. Yet, being an -Alpine fish, and naturally fond of cool water, -it might have been expected among the Highlands.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I formerly used to account for this, -by supposing it an <em>imported</em> fish, and not -indigenous; but, in some of my continental -excursions, I have seen it living only under -such peculiar circumstances, that I doubt the -correctness of this my early opinion.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Which was, I conclude, that it -was introduced by the monks, in the time -when England was under the See of Rome. -As a favourite fish of St. Ambrose it was worth -cultivating, as well as for its own sake; and I -think you have done wrong to relinquish this -idea, for, as far as my recollection serves me, -the rivers that contain it are near the ruins of -great monasteries. The Avon, near Salisbury; -the Ure, near Fountain’s Abbey; the Wye, near -the great Abbey of Tintern; and, if I am not -mistaken, in the lower part of this valley there -<span class='pageno' id='Page_195'>195</span>are the remains of an extensive establishment of -friars.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—But there are rivers near the ruins of -some of the most magnificent establishments of -this kind in Europe, and those nearest the continent, -where the grayling is not found; for -instance, in the Stour, at Canterbury. And if -the grayling <em>be</em> an imported fish, it is wonderful, -that it should not be found in the rivers in Kent, -and along the south-west coast of England, as -in Dorsetshire, Devonshire, and Cornwall, where -the monastic establishments were numerous; -and why it should be found in some rivers in the -mountainous parts of Wales, as in that near -Llan-wrted and the Dee; not near Val Crusis -Abbey, but fifteen miles higher up, between Corwen -and Bala.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—It may have been a fish imported -from the continent, and carried to a number of -rivers, only a few of which may have suited -its habits, and has remained there and multiplied.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—There may be truth in what you are -now imagining, for the grayling requires a number -of circumstances in a river to enable it to -increase.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—What circumstances are these?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_196'>196</span><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—A temperature in the water which -must be moderate—neither too high nor too -low. Grayling are never found in streams that -run from glaciers—at least near their source; -and they are killed by cold or heat. I once put -some grayling from the Teme, in September, -with some trout, into a confined water, rising -from a spring in the yard at Downton; the <a id='gray'></a>grayling -all died, but the trout lived. And in the -hot summer of 1825, great numbers of large -grayling died in the Avon, below Ringwood, -without doubt killed by the heat in July.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—But I have heard of grayling -being common in Lapland—at least so says -Linnæus.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I think it must be another species -of the same genus; the same as Back’s grayling -found by Captain Franklin and his companions -in North America, and distinguished -by a much larger back fin. Having travelled -with the fishing-rod in my hand through most -of the Alpine valleys in the south and east -of Europe, and some of those in Norway -and Sweden, I have always found the char -in the coldest and highest waters; the trout, -in the brooks rising in the highest and coldest -mountains; and the grayling always lower, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_197'>197</span>where the temperature was milder: and if -in hot countries, only at the foot of mountains, -not far from sources which had the -mean temperature of the atmosphere,—as in -the Vipacco, near Goritzia, and in the streams -which gush forth from the limestone caverns -of the <a id='nord'></a>Nordic Alps. Besides temperature, -grayling require a peculiar character in the -disposition of the water of rivers. They -do not dwell, like trout, in rapid shallow -torrents; nor, like char or chub, in deep pools -or lakes. They require a combination of -stream and pool; they like a deep still pool -for rest, and a rapid stream above, and a gradually -declining shallow below, and a bottom -where marl or loam is mixed with gravel; -and they are not found abundant except in -rivers that have these characters. It is impossible -to have a more perfect specimen of -a grayling river than that now running before -us, in this part of its course. You see a succession -of deep still pools under shady banks -of marl, with gentle rapids above, and a long -shelving tail, where the fish sport and feed. -Should there be no such pools in a river, grayling -would remain, provided the water was -clear, and would breed; but they cannot stem -<span class='pageno' id='Page_198'>198</span>rapid streams, and they are gradually carried -down lower and lower, and at last disappear. -You know the Test, one of the finest trout -streams in Hampshire, and of course in England; -when I first knew this stream, twenty -years ago, there were no grayling in it. A gentleman -brought some from the Avon, and introduced -them into the river at Longstock, above -Stockbridge. They were for two or three years -very abundant in that part of the river; but -they gradually descended, and though they -multiplied greatly, there are now scarcely any -above Stockbridge. There were, four years -ago, many in the river just below; but this -year there are very few there, and the great -proportion that remains is found below Houghton. -I ought to mention, that the water is -particularly fitted for them, and they become -larger in this river than in their native place, -the Avon,—some of them weighing between 3 -and 4lbs. The trout, in all its habits of migration, -runs upward, seeking the fresh and -cool waters of mountain sources to spawn in: -the grayling, I believe, has never the same -habit of running up stream; I never saw one -leaping at a fall, where trout are so often seen. -Their large back fin seems intended to enable -<span class='pageno' id='Page_199'>199</span>them to rise and sink rapidly in deep pools; -and the slender nature of the body, towards -the tail, renders them much more unfit for -leaping cataracts than trout and salmon. The -temperature of the water, and its character as -to still and stream, seem of more importance -than clearness; for I have seen grayling taken -in streams, that are almost constantly turbid,—as -in the Inn and the Salza in the Tyrol. This -fish appears to require food of a particular -kind, feeding much upon flies and their larvæ, -and not usually preying upon small fish, as the -trout. It has a very strong stomach, in texture -like that of the gillaroo trout, and is exceedingly -fond of those larvæ which inhabit -cases, and are usually covered with sand or -gravel. I once caught a grayling in the -Wochain Save, that weighed about a pound -and a half, the stomach of which equalled in -size a very large walnut, and contained some -small shells, and two or three white round pebbles -as large as small beans. In accordance -with their general habits of feeding, grasshoppers -are amongst their usual food in the -end of summer and autumn; and at all seasons, -maggots, upon fine tackle and a small hook, -offer a secure mode of taking them,—the pool -<span class='pageno' id='Page_200'>200</span>having been previously baited for the purpose -of angling, by throwing in a handful or two a -few minutes before.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—You just now said, that you thought -the Lapland fish, considered by Linnæus as -grayling, was the same as Back’s grayling; but -I find, in the Appendix to Captain Franklin’s -narration, two graylings described as belonging -to the northern regions,—one the Coregonus -Signifer, and another, which appears to differ -very little from it, except being small in size. -This seems to agree as nearly as possible with -our grayling, with a difference of at most one -spine in the back fin. May not this in fact be -the same fish as the grayling of the Alps, only -rendered in a succession of generations fit for a -colder climate?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—This is certainly possible: there is no -doubt, that, in many successive generations, -animals may be fitted to bear changes, which -would have destroyed their progenitors. It is -said by Bloch, that graylings are found in the -Caspian Sea, and in the Baltic,—masses of -saline water; though, as I have proved, the -grayling of England will not bear even a brackish -water, without dying. And notwithstanding -the severity of the winter in high northern latitudes, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_201'>201</span>streams under the ice may retain a temperature -not much lower than some of the Alpine -rivers. I have seen grayling in Carniola, in a -source at the hottest season not quite 50°; and -as, in large bodies of water, the deepest part, -in frost, is generally the warmest—about 40°, -the degree at which water is heaviest—I see no -reason why grayling may not be habituated to -such a temperature—coolness being generally -favourable to their existence. But see, the fog -which had filled the valley and hid the mountains -from our sight is clearing away, and I fear it -will be a hot day. Before the sun becomes too -bright is the best time for fishing, in such a -day as this. As soon as the fog is fairly off, the -water-flies will begin to appear, and fish to sport.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I see the fog has already disappeared -from the deep water in the meadow, where I -suppose the warmth of the air from the considerable -mass of the water, is greater; and which -is further removed from the hills sending down -currents of cold air, from the mixture of which -with the moist warm air above the river this -phenomenon is produced. I see some yellow -flies beginning to come out; they have already -felt the influence of the warm air: and look! -<span class='pageno' id='Page_202'>202</span>a fish has just risen opposite that bank, -and he rises again: let us prepare our tackle.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—What flies shall we employ?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I recommend at least three; for the -grayling lies deeper and is not so shy a fish as -the trout; and, provided your link is fine, is -not apt to be scared by the cast of flies on the -water. The fineness of the link, and of the -guts to which your flies are attached, is a most -essential point, and the clearer the stream the -finer should be the tackle. I have known -good fishermen foiled by using a gut of ordinary -thickness, though their fly was of the -right size and colour. Very slender transparent -gut of the colour of the water is one -of the most important causes of success in -grayling fishing. Let me see your book: I -will select a fine stretcher. Now, for the -lowest fly, use a yellow-bodied fly, with red -hackle for legs, and landrail’s wing: for the -second, a blue dun, with dun body; and for -the highest, the claret coloured body, with -blue wings; and let your first dropper fly be -about three feet from the stretcher and from -the other dropper, and let the hanging link -which attaches them be 3½ inches long.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_203'>203</span><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—There are several fish rising: I -shall throw at that opposite—he appears large.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—It is a trout and not a grayling.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—How do you know?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—By his mode of rising. He is lying -at the top of the water, taking the flies as they -sail down by him, which a grayling scarcely -ever does. <em>He</em> rises rapidly from the bottom -or middle of the water, on the contrary—darting -upwards, and, having seized his fly, returns -to his station. There! a grayling has risen. -I do not mean, however, that this habit is invariable; -I have sometimes seen trout feed -like grayling, and grayling like trout, but -neither of these fish emits bubbles of air in -rising, as dace and chub do.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I have one! He has taken my blue -dun, and must be a small one, for he plays -with no vigour.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—He is about ¾lb.—a fish of two -years and a half old—very good for the table. -I will land him if possible.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—There! He is off!</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—This happens often with grayling: their -mouths are tender, and unless the hook catches -in the upper lip, which is rather thick, it is more -than an equal chance that the fish escapes you.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_204'>204</span><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—Here, I have another, that has taken -the stretcher, and as it is a larger hook, I hope -he may be held. He is likewise a larger fish—but -how oddly he spins! This, I suppose, -must be owing to his large back fin, by which -the stream carries him round. There he is: -he has quite twisted my link; it would not be -amiss to have swivels for this kind of fishing.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—It is a fish in good season,—dark -above, fair below, and weighs, I should suppose, -about 1¼lb.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—As this is the first grayling I have -seen of my own taking, I must measure, weigh, -and examine him.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—We can do this hereafter. See, our -fish barrel; he can be kept alive till a more -convenient time of the day.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I am disposed to gratify my curiosity -immediately: for to acquire information is at -least as interesting to me as catching fish. I -shall kill him by a blow on the head. He is -not, I suppose, worth crimping afterwards?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Certainly not, at this time; and it -is not necessary with a fish of this size, which -ought to be fried; but if we catch a large grayling, -approaching to 2lbs., he shall be killed, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_205'>205</span>crimped, and boiled, like our Denham trout; -you will then find him excellent, and not inferior, -in my opinion, to the best perch—more -like the most exquisitely tasted of all our fish, -the red mullet.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—Out of the water, this is a handsome -fish, broader round the middle, and -more hog-backed than the trout, but gracefully -tapering towards the tail. The belly, I see, is -silvery with yellow; and the pectoral, ventral, -and anal fins are almost gold-coloured; the -back gray with small black spots, and the back -fin of a beautiful bright purple, with black -and blue spots. It has likewise an agreeable -odour; so that both from its colour and smell -it does not seem undeserving the title given -it by St. Ambrose, of <em>the flower of fishes</em>. It -measures, I find, 14 inches in length; in -girth 7½. It weighs 17 ounces. It has 10 -spines in the pectoral fin, 23 in the dorsal, 16 -in the ventral, 14 in the anal, and 18 in the -caudal.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Now for its anatomy. Its stomach -is very thick, not unlike that of a char or -gillaroo trout, and contains flies, gravel, and -larvæ, with their cases. The liver and bowels -do not differ much from those of a trout; and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_206'>206</span>the ovaria or roe, with eggs as large as mustard -seed, are on each side the air bladder. -Though a thicker fish, the grayling does not -weigh much more than the trout in proportion -to his length: the greater breadth of back is -compensated by the more rapid tapering of -tail, and a trout in very high season will sometimes -equal in weight a grayling of the same -length. The ova in this fish, and in the species -generally, are very small at this time of the -year; but in the beginning of April, the season -of their spawning, they become nearly as large -as the ova of the trout—of the size of pepper-corns. -But I see, Poietes, your rod is in -order, and there are many fish rising in this -deep pool, some of which are large grayling. -The blue dun is on in quantity, and we have -both cloud and wind, which half an hour ago -we had no right to expect. Let me advise you -to use three flies of different shades of the dun: -the stretcher, a pale blue with yellow body; -the first dropper, a winged fly with dun body; -and the third, a similar fly with dark body. -There, you see; he rose and refused your -stretcher—and again he has a second time -refused it. I think the colour of the dubbing -is too bright: try a winged fly for the stretcher -<span class='pageno' id='Page_207'>207</span>with a greenish body. Good—he has taken -it, and ought to be a large fish. Now we have -him: he is at least sixteen inches long, and in -good season. Ornither, I advise you to use -the same kind of fly, and to put up your tackle -precisely in the same way as Poietes has done.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—How well they rise! At that moment -I had two on my line: one of them is -gone, but I hope I shall land the other.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Fish with activity while the cloud -lasts. I fear the sun is coming out, when it -will be more difficult to take fish. I shall try -the next pool, and I advise you to follow me -and fish by turns,—passing each other, and -taking different pools below, and so wend your -way downwards, fishing wherever you see fish -sporting. There is no better part of the river -than that pool below you, and you cannot take -a wrong direction. Immediately beyond Burrington -Bridge you will find two excellent -pools, and I advise you to go no farther down -to-day. If you take a fish approaching 2lbs., -keep him alive in the fish barrel for crimping; -the smaller fish you can kill, and carry with -some rushes in your basket; we shall at least -be able to send a dish of grayling to the patron -of our sport at Downton.</p> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_208'>208</span> -<h3 class='c010'>NOON.</h3> -</div> - -<p class='c016'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Well, gentlemen, I hope you have -been successful.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—We have had good sport; but I -have been for some time reposing on this bank, -and admiring the scene below. How fine are -these woods! How beautiful these banks! the -hills in the distance approach to the character -of mountains; and the precipitous cliff, which -forms the summit of that distant elevation, -looks like a diluvian monument, and as if it -had been bared and torn by a deluge, which it -had stemmed.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—It is one of the Clee hills, and its -termination is basaltic, and such rocks usually -assume such forms. But though this spot is -beautiful, to-morrow, I hope to show you a -more exquisite landscape,—cliffs and woods, -and gushing waters, of a character still more -romantic. We will return to our inn by a -shorter road; but tell me, have you caught a -large fish amongst you, and preserved him for -crimping?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—We have preserved two fishes in -the barrel, but I fear they are much below -your proposed size.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_209'>209</span><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—They are good fish, and of the average -size of the large grayling in this stream—16 -inches long, and about 1½lb.; they will -make a good variety boiled and placed in the -middle of the fried fish. And how many have -you caught altogether?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I have basketed (to coin a word) -three trout and six grayling.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—And I have taken seven grayling. -I caught trout likewise, but, not considering -them in proper season, I returned them to the -river: but Ornither has been the most successful—he -has killed ten grayling.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—The trout is rarely good in this river—at -least I never saw one that cut red, and -yet I have taken them in July, when their -external appearance was perfect and beautiful; -but they have, to my taste, always a flabby and -soft character of flesh, and at all seasons here -are inferior for the table to grayling; yet they -often attain a considerable size. There are -few small fish in these streams, and I suppose -the grayling, which are most numerous, deprive -the trout of their proper share of the food, -depending upon larvæ and flies.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—As we are walking through these -meadows, pray give us some information as to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_210'>210</span>the habits of the grayling, and its localities in -England: I have been so much pleased with -my sport, that I shall become, with St. Ambrose, -a patron of the fish.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—The habits of the grayling, like those -of most other fish, are very simple. He is, I -believe, to a certain extent, gregarious—more -so than the trout, and less so than the perch, -and the usual varieties of the carp species -known in England. His form and appearance -you have seen. He is as yet scarcely in his -highest or most perfect season, which is in the -end of November or beginning of December, -when his back is very dark, almost black, and his -belly and lower fins are nearly gold-coloured; -but his brightness, like that of most other fishes, -depends a good deal upon the nature of the -water: and on the continent I have seen fishes -far more brilliantly coloured than in England—the -lower part almost a bright orange, and -the back fin approaching to the colour of the -damask rose, or rather of an anemone. The -grayling spawns in April, and sometimes as -late as the beginning of May: the female is -generally then followed by two or three males. -She deposits her ova in the tales of sharp -streams, and the males, rubbing against her, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_211'>211</span>shed upon the ova the melt or semi-fluid. I -do not know how long a time is required for -the exclusion of the young ones; but in the -end of July, or beginning of August, they are -of the size of sprats, four or five inches long, -and already sport merrily at a fly. Though -I have often taken grayling in bad season, -yet I have rarely observed upon them the same -kind of leech,<a id='r7' /><a href='#f7' class='c012'><sup>[7]</sup></a> or louse, which is so often -found upon the trout; from which I infer, -that they seldom hide themselves, or become -torpid in the mud. The grayling hatched in -May or June, I conclude, become the same -year, in September or October, nine or ten -inches long, and weigh from <em>five ounces</em> to <em>half -<span class='pageno' id='Page_212'>212</span>a pound</em>; and the year after they are from -twelve to fifteen inches long, and weigh from -three-quarters to a pound; and these two sizes, -as you have seen, are the fish that most usually -rise at the fly. The first size in this river is -called <em>shote</em>, which is a Celtic word, I believe, -applied likewise in the west of England to small -trout. Of their growth after the second year -I cannot speak; this must depend much on -their food and place of residence. Marsigli -says, they do not grow after the third year, -and at this age, in Austria, they are sometimes -a cubit long; but though I have fished much -in that country, I never saw any so long. If -they are taken into new and comparatively still -water recently made, and where food is plenty, -they grow very fast: under these circumstances, -I have seen them above 3lbs. In the Test, -where, as I mentioned before, the grayling has -been only recently introduced, they have sometimes -been caught between 3 and 4lbs.—in -this river I never took one above 2lbs. but I -have heard of one being taken of 2½lbs. The -grayling is a rare fish in England, and has -never been found in Scotland and Ireland (as -Poietes observed before;) and there are few -rivers containing all the conditions necessary for -<span class='pageno' id='Page_213'>213</span>their increase. I know of no grayling river -farther west than the Avon, in Hampshire: they -are found in some of the tributary streams of this -river which rise in Wiltshire. I know of no -river containing them on the north coast west of -the Severn: there are very few only in the -upper part of this river, and in the streams which -form it in North Wales. There are a few in -the Wye and its tributary streams. In the Lug, -which flows through the next valley, in Herefordshire, -many grayling are found. In the Dee, -as I have said before, they are found, but are -not common. In Derbyshire and Staffordshire, -the Dove, the Wye, the Trent, and the Blithe, -afford grayling; in Yorkshire, on the north -coast, some of the tributary streams of the Ribble,—and -in the south, the Ure, the Wharfe, -the Humber, the Derwent, and the streams that -form it, particularly the Rye. There may be -some other localities of this fish unknown to me; -but as I have fished much, and enquired much -respecting the places where it is found, I -think my information tolerably correct and -complete.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—Is this fish to be fished for in -spring?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_214'>214</span><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—He is to be fished for at all times, for -he is rarely so much out of season as to be a -bad fish; and when there are flies on the water, -he will generally take them: but as the trout -may be considered as a spring and summer fish, -so the grayling may be considered as a winter -and autumnal fish.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—Of course the grayling is taken in -spring with the same imitation of flies as the -trout?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—The same. As far as flies are concerned, -these two species feed alike; though I -may say, generally, that the grayling prefers -smaller flies, and the varieties of the ephemeræ -or phryganeæ, of the smallest size, form their -favourite food. Yet grayling do not refuse -large flies; and in the Avon and Test, May -flies, and even moths, are greedily taken in the -summer by large grayling. Flies, likewise, -that do not inhabit the water, but are blown -from the land, are good baits for grayling. -There is no method more killing, for large -grayling, than applying a grasshopper to the -point of a leaded hook, the lead and shank -of which are covered with green and yellow -silk, to imitate the body of the animal. This -mode of fishing is called sinking and drawing. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_215'>215</span>I have seen it practised in this river with as -much success as maggot fishing; and the fish -taken were all of the largest size; the method -being most successful in deep holes, where the -bottom was not visible, which are the natural -haunts of such fish. In the winter, grayling -rise for an hour or two, in bright and tolerably -warm weather; and, at this time, the smallest -imitations of black or pale gnats that can be -made, on the smallest sized hook, succeed -best in taking them. In March, the dark-bodied -willow fly may be regarded as the -earliest fly; the imitation of which is made by -a dark claret dubbing and a dun hackle, or four -small starling’s wing feathers. The blue dun -comes on in the middle of the day in this -month, and is imitated by dun hackles for -wings and legs, and an olive dubbing for body. -In milder weather, in morning and evening in -this month, and through April, the green tail, -or grannom, comes on in great quantities, and -is well imitated by a hen pheasant’s wing -feather, a gray or red hackle for legs, and a -dark peacock’s harle, or dark hare’s ear fur, -for the body. The same kind of fly, of a -larger size, with paler wings, kills well in the -evening, through May or June. The imitation -<span class='pageno' id='Page_216'>216</span>of a water insect called the spider fly, -with a lead-coloured body and woodcock’s -wings, is said to be a killing bait, on this and -other rivers, in the end of April and beginning -of May; but I never happened to see it on the -water. The dark alder fly, in May and June, -is taken greedily by the fish: it is imitated by -a dark-shaded pheasant’s wing, black hackle for -legs, and a peacock’s harle, ribbed with red silk, -for the body. At this season, and in July, -imitations of the black and red palmer worms, -which I believe are taken for black or brown, -or red beetles or cockchaffers, kill well; and, in -dark weather, there are usually very light duns -on the water. In August, imitations of the house -fly and blue bottle, and the red and black ant fly, -are taken, and are particularly killing after floods -in autumn, when great quantities of the fly are -destroyed and washed down the river. In this -month, in cloudy days, pale-blue duns often appear; -and they are still more common in September. -Throughout the summer and autumn, -in fine calm evenings, a large dun fly, with a -pale yellow body, is greedily taken by grayling -after sunset; and the imitation of it is very killing. -In the end of October, and through November, -there is no fly fishing but in the middle -<span class='pageno' id='Page_217'>217</span>of the day, when imitations of the smaller duns -may be used with great success; and I have -often seen the fish sport most, and fly fishing -pursued with the greatest success, in bright sunshine, -from twelve till half-past two o’clock, -after severe frosts in the morning; and I once -caught, under these circumstances, a very fine -dish of fish on the 7th of November. It was in -the year 1816; the summer and autumn had -been peculiarly cold and wet, and, probably in -consequence of this, the flies were in smaller -quantity at their usual season, and there was a -greater proportion later in the year.</p> - -<p class='c006'>Grayling, if you take your station by the -side of a river, will rise nearer to you than -trout, for they lie deeper, and therefore are -not so much scared by an object on the bank; -but they are more delicate in the choice of -their flies than trout, and will much oftener -rise and refuse the fly. Trout, from lying -nearer the surface, are generally taken before -grayling, where the water is slightly coloured, -or after a flood: and in rain, trout usually rise -better than grayling, though it sometimes happens, -when great quantities of flies come out -in rain, grayling, as well as trout, are taken -with more certainty than at any other time;—the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_218'>218</span>artificial fly, in such cases, looks like a -wet fly, and allures even the grayling, which generally -is more difficult to deceive than trout -in the same river.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—As I was looking into a ditch coming -down the river, which is connected with -it, I saw a very large eel at the bottom, that -appeared to me to be feeding on a small grayling:—are -there many of this fish in the Teme, -and do they breed here?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—There are many of this fish in the -river; but to your question, do they breed -here? I must answer in the negative. The -problem of their generation is the most <a id='abs'></a>abstruse, -and one of the most curious, in natural -history; and though it occupied the attention -of Aristotle, and has been taken up by most -distinguished naturalists since his time, it is -still unsolved.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I thought there was no doubt on -the subject. Lacepede, whose book is the -only scientific one on fishes I have read with -attention, asserts, in the most unqualified way, -that they are viviparous.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I remember his assertion, but I looked -in vain for proofs.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I do not remember any <em>facts</em> -<span class='pageno' id='Page_219'>219</span>brought forward on the subject; but tell us -what you think upon it.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I will tell you all I know, which is -not much. This is certain, that there are -two migrations of eels,—one up and one down -rivers, one <em>from</em> and the other <em>to</em> the sea; the -first in spring and summer, the second in autumn -or early winter. The first, of very small -eels, which are sometimes not more than two -or two and a half inches long; the second, of -large eels, which sometimes are three or -four feet long, and weigh from 10 to 15, or -even 20lbs. There is great reason to believe, -that all eels found in fresh water are the results -of the first migration: they appear in -millions in April and May, and sometimes -continue to rise as late even as July and the -beginning of August. I remember this was -the case in Ireland, in 1823. It had been -a cold backward summer, and when I was -at Ballyshannon, about the end of July, the -mouth of the river, which had been in -flood all this month, under the fall, was -blackened by millions of little eels, about as -long as the finger, which were constantly -urging their way up the moist rocks by the -side of the fall. Thousands died, but their -<span class='pageno' id='Page_220'>220</span>bodies remaining moist, served as the ladder -for others to make their way; and I saw some -ascending even perpendicular stones, making -their road through wet moss, or adhering to -some eels, that had died in the attempt. Such -is the energy of these little animals, that they -continue to find their way, in immense numbers, -to Loch Erne. The same thing happens -at the fall of the Bann, and Loch Neagh -is thus peopled by them: even the mighty -Fall of Shaffhausen does not prevent them from -making their way to the Lake of Constance, -where I have seen many very large eels.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—You have shown, that some eels -come from the sea, but I do not think the -facts prove, that all eels are derived from that -source.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Pardon me—I have not concluded. -There are eels in the Lake of Neufchatel, -which communicates by a stream with the -Rhine; but there are none in the Leman Lake, -because the Rhone makes a subterraneous fall -below Geneva; and though small eels can -pass by moss or mount rocks, they cannot -penetrate limestone, or move against a rapid -descending current of water, passing, as it -were, through a pipe. Again: no eels mount -<span class='pageno' id='Page_221'>221</span>the Danube from the Black Sea; and there -are none found in the great extent of lakes, -swamps, and rivers communicating with the -Danube,—though some of these lakes and -morasses are wonderfully fitted for them, and -though they are found abundantly in the same -countries, in lakes and rivers connected with -the ocean and the Mediterranean. Yet, when -brought into confined water in the Danube, -they fatten and thrive there. As to the instinct, -which leads young eels to seek fresh -water, it is difficult to reason;—probably they -prefer warmth, and, swimming at the surface -in the early summer, find the lighter water -warmer, and likewise containing more insects, -and so pursue the courses of fresh water, as -the waters from the land, at this season, become -warmer than those of the sea. Mr. -J. Couch (Lin. Trans. T. xiv. p. 70) says, -that the little eels, according to his observation, -are produced within reach of the tide, and -climb round falls to reach fresh water from -the sea. I have sometimes seen them, in -spring, swimming in immense shoals in the -Atlantic, in Mount Bay, making their way to -the mouths of small brooks and rivers. When -the cold water from the autumnal floods begins -<span class='pageno' id='Page_222'>222</span>to swell the rivers, this fish tries to return to -the sea; but numbers of the smaller ones hide -themselves during the winter in the mud, and -many of them form, as it were, masses together. -Various authors have recorded the -migration of eels in a singular way,—such as Dr. -Plot, who, in his History of Staffordshire, says, -that they pass in the night, across meadows, -from one pond to another: and Mr. Arderon -(in Trans. Royal Soc.) gives a distinct account -of small eels rising up the flood-gates -and posts of the water-works of the city of -Norwich; and they made their way to the -water above, though the boards were smooth -planed, and five or six feet perpendicular. -He says, when they first rose out of the water -upon the dry board, they rested a little—which -seemed to be till their slime was thrown out, -and sufficiently glutinous—and then they rose -up the perpendicular ascent with the same -facility as if they had been moving on a plane -surface.—(Trans. Abr. vol. ix. p. 311.) There -can, I think, be no doubt, that they are assisted -by their small scales, which, placed like those -of serpents, must facilitate their progressive -motion: these scales have been microscopically -observed by Lewenhoeck.—(Phil. Trans. vol. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_223'>223</span>iv.) Eels migrate from the salt water of different -sizes, but I believe never when they are -above a foot long—and the great mass of them -are only from two and a half to four inches. -They feed, grow, and fatten in fresh water. -In small rivers they are seldom very large; -but in large deep lakes they become as thick -as a man’s arm, or even leg; and all those of -a considerable size attempt to return to the -sea in October or November, probably when -they experience the cold of the first autumnal -rains. Those that are not of the largest size, -as I said before, pass the winter in the deepest -parts of the mud of rivers and lakes, and do -not seem to eat much, and remain, I believe, -almost torpid. Their increase is not certainly -known in any given time, but must depend upon -the quantity of their food: but it is probable -they do not become of the largest size, from the -smallest, in one or even two seasons; but this, -as well as many other particulars, can only be -ascertained by new observations and experiments. -Blotch states, that they grow slowly, and mentions, -that some had been kept in the same pond -for fifteen years. As very large eels, after having -migrated, never return to the river again, they must -(for it cannot be supposed that they all die immediately -<span class='pageno' id='Page_224'>224</span>in the sea) remain in salt water; and -there is great probability, that they are then -confounded with the conger, which is found of -different colours and sizes—from the smallest to -the largest—from a few ounces to one hundred -pounds in weight. The colour of the conger is -generally paler than that of the eel; but, in the -Atlantic, it is said, that pale congers are found -on one side of the Wolf Rock, and dark ones -on the other. The conger has breathing tubes, -which are said not to be found in the other eel; -but to determine this would require a more minute -examination than has yet been made. Both the -conger and common eel have fringes along the -air bladder, which are probably the ovaria; and -Sir E. Home thinks them hermaphrodite, and -that the seminal vessels are close to the kidneys. -I hope this great comparative anatomist will -be able to confirm his views by new dissections, -and some chemical researches upon -the nature of the fringes and the supposed -melt. If viviparous, and the fringes contain -the ova, one mother must produce tens of -thousands, the ova being remarkably small; -but it appears more probable, that they are -oviparous, and that they deposit their ova in -parts of the sea near deep basins, which remain -<span class='pageno' id='Page_225'>225</span>warm in winter. This might be ascertained by -experiment, particularly on the coasts of the -Mediterranean. I cannot find, that they -haunt the Arctic ocean, which is probably of -too low a temperature to suit their feelings or -habits; and the Caspian and the Black Sea -are probably without them, from their not -being found in the Volga or Danube; these, -being shallow seas, are perhaps too cold for -them in winter. From the time (April) that -small eels begin to migrate, it is probable -that they are generated in winter; and the -pregnant eels ought to be looked for in November, -December, and January. I opened -one in December, in which the fringes were -abundant, but I did not examine them under -the microscope, or chemically. I trust this -curious problem will not remain much longer -unsolved.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_226'>226</span> - <h2 class='c004'>EIGHTH DAY.<br /> <br />HALIEUS—POIETES—ORNITHER—PHYSICUS.</h2> -</div> - -<h3 class='c010'>SCENE—DOWNTON.</h3> - -<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—<span class='sc'>This</span> is a beautiful day, and, I think, -for fishing, as well as for the enjoyment of -the scenery, finer than yesterday. The wind -blows from the south, and is balmy; and though -a few clouds are collecting, they are not sufficiently -dense to exclude the warmth of the -sun; and, as lovers of the angle, we ought -prefer his warmth to his light.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I do not think, as the day advances, -there will be any deficiency of light; and I -shall not be sorry for this, as it will enable -you to see the grounds of Downton, and the -distances in the landscape, to more advantage: -nor will light interfere much with our sport in -this valley, where, as you see, there is no want -of shade.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—This spot is really very fine. The -<a id='fall'></a>fall of water, the picturesque mill, the abrupt -<span class='pageno' id='Page_227'>227</span>cliff, and the bank, covered with noble oaks, -above the river, compose a scene such as I -have rarely beheld in this island.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—We will wander a little longer -through the walks. There you will enter a -subterraneous passage in the rock beyond the -mossy grotto. Behold, the castle, or mansion-house, -clothed in beautiful vegetables, of which -the red creeper is most distinct, rises above on -the hill! After we have finished our walk and -our fishing, I will, if you please, take you to -the house, and introduce you to its worthy -master, whom to know is to love, to whom -all good anglers should be grateful, and who -has a strong claim to a more extensive gratitude—that -of his country and of society—by his -scientific researches on vegetable nature, which -are not merely curious, but useful, and which -have already led to great improvements in our -fruits and plants, and generally extended the -popularity of horticulture.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—We shall be much obliged to you -for the favour—provided always, you know -it will not be an intrusion.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Trust this to me. And now, as all -circumstances are favourable, begin your fishing. -I recommend to you that fine pool below -<span class='pageno' id='Page_228'>228</span>the bridge; there are always grayling to be -caught there—and already I see some rising.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—With what imitation of flies shall -we fish?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—As yesterday; a yellow fly for your -stretcher, and two duns for the droppers. There, -you have a good fish. And now another—both -grayling.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I shall try the rapid at the top of -this long large pool; I see several fish rising -there.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Do so. You will catch fish there—trout, -but I fear no grayling.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—Why not?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—In that part of the stream the water -is too rough for grayling, and they like to be -nearer the deep water. Lower down, in the -same pool, there are large grayling to be -caught.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—You are in the right; the fish I have -is a large trout—at least he is not much less -than 2lbs. I have landed him; shall I keep -him?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—As you please: he is as good as he -ever was, or ever will be in this water.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—There are now more yellow flies out -than I have seen before this season. They have -<span class='pageno' id='Page_229'>229</span>appeared suddenly, as if sprung from that large -alder. Though you gave us in a former conversation -some account of the flies used in fishing, -yet I hope you have not forgot your promise, to -favour us with some more details on this subject, -which, both as connected with angling, and with -a curious part of natural history, is very interesting.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I wish it was in my power to give you -information from my own experience, but, I am -sorry to say, this has been very limited; and -though the English are peculiarly the fly fishing -nation, yet our philosophical anglers have not -contributed much to this department of science, -and what has been done is principally by -foreigners, amongst whom Swammerdam, Reaumur, -and above all De Geer, are pre-eminent. -To attempt to collect and apply the knowledge -accumulated by these celebrated men, would -carry us far beyond the limits of a day’s conversation; -and as a great proportion of the insects -that fly, walk, or crawl, are the food of -fishes, a dissertation, or discourse on this subject, -would be almost a general view of natural history. -You know that frogs, crawfish, snails, -earthworms, spiders, larvæ of every kind, millipedes, -beetles, squillæ, moths, water flies, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_230'>230</span>land flies, are all eaten by trout; and I once -heard the late Sir Joseph Banks say, that he -found a large toad stuck in the throat of a trout; -but as the skin of this animal is furnished with an -exceedingly acrid secretion, it probably had been -disgorged after being swallowed by a fish -exceedingly hungry. But though I have found -most of the insect tribes, and many small fishes, -even of the most ravenous kind, as pike, in the -stomachs of trout, it never happened to me to see -a toad there. I might give you an account of -the birth and life of frogs, which, with respect to -their generation, resemble fish, and which, when -first excluded from the egg, may be considered in -the tadpole state as fish; and you would not -find their singular metamorphosis without interest. -Or I could detail to you the true -histories which naturalists have given of the -habits of snails and earthworms, and of the -sexual relations of these apparently contemptible -animals;—but this is too delicate -a subject to dwell on. Even the renewing -or change of shell in the crawfish, when -it falls in its soft state an easy prey to fish, -is a curious inquiry not only for the physiologist, -but likewise for the chemist. On -these points, I must request you to refer to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_231'>231</span>writers in Natural History: yet I shall perform -my promise, and say a few words on -winged insects, which, in their origin and -metamorphosis, offer the most extraordinary -known miracles perhaps of terrestrial natures. -You must be <a id='acqu'></a>acquainted with the origin of our -common house flies?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—We know, that they spring from -maggots, and that both the common and blue -bottle fly deposit their ova in putrid animal -matter, <a id='where'></a>were the eggs are hatched and produce -maggots, that, after feeding upon the decomposing -animal material, gradually change, -gain a hard or horny coat, seem as if entombed, -and wait in a kind of apparent death or slumber, -till they are mature for a new birth, when -they burst their coatings and appear in the -character of novel beings—fitted to inhabit -another element.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—The history of the birth and metamorphosis -of all other winged insects is very -similar, but with peculiarities dependent upon -their organs, wants, and habits. You know -the curious details with which we have been -furnished by natural historians of bees and -ants, which live in a kind of society. The ant -flies, of which, as I mentioned to you, imitations -<span class='pageno' id='Page_232'>232</span>are sometimes used by fishermen, were -originally maggots, and became furnished with -wings—not, however, passing through the aurelia -state for this last transformation.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I beg your pardon, but, having -lately read an account of these animals in the -very interesting book, called “An Introduction -to Entomology,” I think I can correct you in -one particular; which is, that the maggot of the -ant <em>does</em> assume the form of a chrysalis or pupa, -before it becomes a winged animal.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—It is true, that the <em>immediate</em> transition -of the maggot is into a pupa, <em>then</em> into an ant, -which is furnished with a kind of case, from -which the wings emerge for their perfect transformation -into the fly or imago state. The males -die soon after the sexual intercourse; the -females, when impregnated, lose their wings, -and either voluntarily or by force enter into -society with neuter or working ants, for the purpose -<a id='of'></a>of raising a new generation.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—You are perfectly right; and though -it would be irrelevant to our present object, I -could almost wish, for the sake of amusing our -friends, that you would detail to us some other -parts of the marvellous history of these wonderful -animals, which, if not so well authenticated, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_233'>233</span>might be supposed a philosophical romance. -Such as the neuter or working ants feeding each -other and the offspring; the manner in -which they make, defend, and repair their -dwellings, provide their food, watch and attend -to the female, and take care of her eggs; their -extraordinary mode of acquiring and defending -the aphides and cocci, which bear to them the -same relation that cattle do to man, which are -fed by them with so much care, and the milk -of which forms so important a part of their -food; the predatory excursions of a particular -species to carry off pupa, which they bring up -as slaves.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—To enter into any of the details of -the history of insects in society, would carry -us into an interminable, though interesting -subject, that would soon lose all relation to fly -fishing; and I fear what I have to say, even -on the winged insects connected with this amusement, -will occupy too much of your time, for we -have not more than an hour to devote to this -object.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Tell us what you please; we are -attentive.</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>PHRYGANEÆ,</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'><i>With their Imitations.</i></div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='figcenter id001'> -<img src='images/illo_236.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic001'> -<p><i>Frederick Sc.</i></p> -</div> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div>EPHEMERÆ</div> - <div class='c001'><i>With their Imitations or Hooks</i></div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='figcenter id002'> -<img src='images/illo_239.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic001'> -<p><i>Frederick Sc.</i></p> -</div> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div>EPHEMERÆ,</div> - <div class='c001'><i>With their Imitations or Hooks</i></div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='figcenter id003'> -<img src='images/illo_242.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic001'> -<p><i>Frederick Sc.</i></p> -</div> -</div> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—The various individuals of the <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">gryllus</span></i>, -or grasshopper tribe, spring from larvæ, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_234'>234</span>that do not differ much from the perfect -insect, except in possessing no wings. The -eggs are deposited in our meadows, and many -species of this animal are gregarious, and their -immigrations in swarms are well known. The -butterfly and moths, as you know, lay eggs -which produce caterpillars, and these caterpillars, -after feeding upon vegetable food, spin -themselves or frame houses or beds, cocoons, -in which they are transformed into aurelias, -and from which they burst forth as perfect -winged insects. The <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">libellula</span></i>, or dragon fly, -the most voracious of the winged insect tribe, -deposits her eggs in such a manner, that the -larvæ fall into the water, and, after destroying -and feeding upon almost all the aquatic insects -found in this element, and changing their skins -at various times, they emerge in their winged -form the tyrants of the insect generations in -the air. The gnats and tipulæ have a similar -existence. The gnat, the female of which -only is said by De Geer to bite man, or suck -human blood, in Sweden, lays her egg in a -kind of little boat or cocoon of her own spinning. -These eggs are hatched on the surface -of the water, and produce the larvæ, which -undergo another change into peculiar nymphæ, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_235'>235</span>that still retain the power of swimming and -moving, from which the perfect insect is produced -during the summer heat. The flies, -which I mentioned to you in a former conversation, -under the name of the grannom, or -green tail, (<i>see fig.</i> 2,) are of the class <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">phryganeæ</span></i>, -which includes all those water flies -that have long antennæ, and wings something -like those of moths, but usually veined and -without powder. The yellow flies, which you -saw a short time since sporting on the banks -of the river, are of this kind. The phryganeæ -(<i>see fig.</i> 1, 2, 3, and 4,) have four wings, which, -when closed, lie flat on their backs, the two -upper ones being folded over the lower ones: -the flies called by anglers the willow fly, the -alder fly, (<i>see fig.</i> 4,) and the dun cut, are of -this kind. The phryganeæ lay their eggs on -the leaves of willows, or other trees, that -overhang the water; they are fastened by a -sort of gluten to the surface of the leaf: when -hatched, they produce small hexapode larvæ, -which fall into the water, and by a curious -economy of nature collect round themselves, -some, parts of plants, or small sticks; some, -gravel; and some, even shell fish. They spin -themselves a sort of case of silk from their -<span class='pageno' id='Page_236'>236</span>bodies, and by a gluten, that exudes from -this case, cement their materials together. -They feed upon aquatic plants, and sometimes -upon insects, protruding only their head and -legs from the case. When about to undergo -transmutation, they quit their cases, rise to the -surface, and wait for this process of nature in -the air; but some species fix themselves on -plants or stones: they burst the skin of the -larvæ, and appear perfect animals, male and -female, fitted for the office of reproduction. -In the early spring, the species which are -called green tails, from the colour of the bags -of eggs in the female, appear in the warm -gleams of sunshine that happen in cloudy -days, and they then cover the face of the -water, and are greedily seized on by the fish. -As the season advances they appear principally -in the morning and evening. In the heat of -summer the phryganeæ are almost nocturnal -flies, and seem to have the habits of moths: -at this season, <em>now</em>, I should say, the few flies -that appear are generally seen in the day-time. -The <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">ephemeræ</span></i>, another class of flies peculiarly -interesting to the fisherman, differ from the -phryganeæ in carrying their wings perpendicularly -on their backs, and in having long -<span class='pageno' id='Page_237'>237</span>filaments or hairs in their tails. The March -brown, (<i>see fig.</i> 8,) the various shades of duns, -(<i>see fig.</i> 5, 6, and 7,) which I described to you -on a former occasion; the green (<i>see fig.</i> 9 and -10,) and white May fly, the red spinner, (<i>see -fig.</i> 11,) are all of the class ephemeræ. These -flies are produced from larvæ which inhabit -the water, which can both crawl and swim, and -which generally live in holes they make in -the bottom. They change their coats several -times before they become nymphæ. They -quit their skin on the surface of the water, but -even after they are flies, they have another -transformation to undergo before they are -perfect animals fitted for generation. They -make use of their wings only to fly to some -dry bank, or trunk of a tree, where they gradually -disencumber themselves of the whole of -the outward habiliment they brought from the -water, including their wings. They become -lighter, more beautiful in colour, and then -begin their sports in the sunshine—appearing -like what might be imagined of spirits freed -from the weight of their terrestrial covering. -This last transmutation has been observed and -fully described by some celebrated naturalists, -in the case of the May flies, and one or two -<span class='pageno' id='Page_238'>238</span>other species, and it probably will be found a -general circumstance attached to the class: I -have often observed what appeared to me to be -the cast-off skins of the small species of ephemeræ -on the banks of rivers and floating in the -water. The green ephemera, or May fly, lays -her eggs sitting on the water, which instantly -sink to the bottom: and most of the duns, or -small slender-winged flies, do the same. The -gray or glossy-winged May fly, commonly called -the gray drake, performs regular motions in the -air above the water, rising and falling, and sitting, -as it were, for a moment on the surface, and -rising again, at which time she is said to deposit -her eggs. To attempt to describe all the variety -of ephemeræ, that sport on the surface of the -water at different times of the day, throughout -the year, would be quite an endless labour. -Some of them appear to live only a few hours, -and none of them, I believe, have their existence -protracted to more than a few days. In spring -and autumn a new variety of these flies sometimes -appears every day, or even in different -parts of the same day. Of the beetle, or -colyoptera genus, there are many varieties fed -on by fishes. These insects, which are distinguished, -as you know, by four wings, two husky-like -<span class='pageno' id='Page_239'>239</span>shells above, and two slender and finer ones -below, are bred from eggs, which they deposit in -the ground, or in the excrement of animals, -and which, producing larvæ in the usual way, -are converted into beetles, and these larvæ -themselves are good bait for fish. The brown -beetle, or cockchaffer, the fern fly, and the -gray beetle, which are abundant in the meadows -in the summer, are often blown into the water, -and are the most common insects of this kind -eaten by fishes. Whether the ditisci and hydrophili, -the water beetles, are ever eaten by trout, -I know not, but it is most probable. These -singular animals are most commonly found -in stagnant waters; fitted for flying, swimming, -diving, and walking, they are omnivorous, and -usually fly from pool to pool in the evening. -They deposit their eggs in the water, where -their larvæ live, but which, to undergo transmutation -into the beetle, migrate to the land. -But there is hardly any insect that flies, including -the wasp, the hornet, the bee, and the -butterfly, that does not become at some time -the prey of fishes. I have not, however, the -knowledge, or if I had, have not the time, to -go through the lists of these interesting little -animals; but of the family of one of them I -must speak—the ichneumons, that deposit -<span class='pageno' id='Page_240'>240</span>their eggs in caterpillars, or the larvæ of -other flies, and which feed on the unfortunate -animal in which they are hatched, and come -out of its interior when dead, as if it had been -their parent. To enter into the philosophy -of this subject, and to study the organs and -faculties of these various insect tribes, in their -functions of respiration, nutrition, and reproduction, -would be sufficient for the labour of -a life. To know what has already been done -would demand the close and studious application -of a comprehensive mind; and to -complete this branch of science in all its -parts is probably almost above human powers: -but much might be done if enlightened persons -would follow the example of De Geer, -Reaumur, and Huber, and study minutely -the habits of particular tribes; and it is probable, -that physiology might be much advanced -by minutely investigating the simplest -forms of living beings; and that particularly -with respect to the functions of generation a -minute study of the modifications of which the -forms of animals seems susceptible, particularly -in the hymenopterous, or bee tribe, might lead -to very important results.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Even in a moral point of view, I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_241'>241</span>think the analogies derived from the transformation -of insects admit of some beautiful -applications, that have not been neglected by -pious entomologists. The three states—of -the caterpillar, pupa, or aurelia, and butterfly—have, -since the time of the Greek poets, -been applied to typify the human being—its -terrestrial form, apparent death, and ultimate -celestial destination; and it seems more extraordinary -that a sordid and crawling worm -should become a beautiful and active fly—that -an inhabitant of the dark and fœtid dunghill -should in an instant entirely change its form, -rise into the blue air, and enjoy the sunbeams,—than -that a being, whose pursuits here have -been after an undying name, and whose purest -happiness has been derived from the acquisition -of intellectual power and finite knowledge, -should rise hereafter into a state of being, where -immortality is no longer a name, and ascend -to the source of Unbounded Power and Infinite -Wisdom.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I have been listening, Halieus, to -your account of water-flies with attention, and -I only regret, that your details were not more -copious; let me now call your attention to that -Michaelmas daisy. A few minutes ago, before -<span class='pageno' id='Page_242'>242</span>the sun sunk behind the hill, its flowers were -covered with varieties of bees, and some wasps, -all busy in feeding on its sweets. I never saw -a more animated scene of insect enjoyment. -The bees were most of them humble bees, but -many of them some new varieties to me, and -the wasps appeared different from any I have -seen before.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I believe this is one of the last autumnal -flowers that insects of this kind haunt. -In sunny days it is their constant point of resort, -and it would afford a good opportunity to the entomologist -to make a collection of British bees.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I neither hear the hum of the bee, -nor can I see any on its flowers. They are -now deserted.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—Since the sun has disappeared, the -cool of the evening has, I suppose, driven the -little winged plunderers to their homes; but -see, there are two or three humble bees which -seem languid with the cold, and yet they have -their tongues still in the fountain of honey. I -believe one of them is actually dead, yet his -mouth is still attached to the flower. He has -fallen asleep, and probably died whilst making -his last meal of ambrosia.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—What an enviable destiny, quitting -<span class='pageno' id='Page_243'>243</span>life in the moment of enjoyment, following an -instinct, the gratification of which has been -always pleasurable! so beneficent are all the -laws of Divine Wisdom.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—Like Ornither, I consider the destiny -of this insect as desirable, and I cannot -help regarding the end of human life as most -happy, when terminated under the impulse of -some strong energetic feeling, similar in its nature -to an instinct. I should not wish to die -like Attila in a moment of gross sensual enjoyment: -but the death of Epaminondas or Nelson -in the arms of victory, their whole attention -absorbed in the love of glory and of their country, -I think really enviable.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I consider the death of the martyr -or the saint as far more enviable; for in this -case, what may be considered as a divine -instinct of our nature, is called into exertion, -and pain is subdued, or destroyed, by a secure -faith in the power and mercy of the Divinity. -In such cases man rises above mortality, and -shows his true intellectual superiority. By intellectual -superiority I mean that of his spiritual -nature, for I do not consider the results of -reason as capable of being compared with those -of faith. Reason is often a dead weight in life, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_244'>244</span>destroying feeling, and substituting, for principle, -calculation and caution; and, in the -hour of death, it often produces fear or despondency, -and is rather a bitter draught than -nectar or ambrosia in the last meal of life.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I agree with Poietes. The higher -and more intense the feeling, under which -death takes place, the happier it may be -esteemed; and I think even Physicus will be -of our opinion, when I recollect the conclusion -of a conversation in Scotland. The immortal -being never can quit life with so much pleasure -as with the feeling of immortality secure, and -the vision of celestial glory filling the mind, -affected by no other passion than the pure and -intense love of God.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_245'>245</span> - <h2 class='c004'>NINTH DAY.<br /> <br />HALIEUS—POIETES—ORNITHER—PHYSICUS.<br /> <br />FISHING FOR HUCHO.</h2> -</div> - -<h3 class='c010'><i>Scene—The Fall of the Traun, Upper Austria.<br />Time—July</i>.</h3> - -<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—<span class='sc'>This</span> is a glorious scene! And the -fall of this great and clear river, with its accompaniments -of wood, rock, and snow-clad -mountain, would alone furnish matter for discussion -and conversation for many days. This -place is quite the paradise of a poetical angler; -the only danger is that of satiety with regard -to sport; for these great grayling and trout -are so little used to the artificial fly, that they -take almost any thing moving on the top of -the water. You see I have put on a salmon -fly, and still they rise at it, though they never -can have seen any thing like it before—and it -is, in fact, not like any thing in nature.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_246'>246</span><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—You are right, they never have seen -any thing like it before; but, in its motion, it -is like a large fly, and this is the season for -large flies. The stone fly and the May fly, -you see, occasionally drop upon the water, and -the colour of your large fly is not unlike that -of the stone fly; but if, instead of being here -in the beginning of July, you had visited this -spot, as I once did, in the beginning of June, -you would have found more difficulty in catching -grayling here, though not so much as in -our English rivers—in the Test, the Derwent, -or the Dove.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—How could this be?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—At this season the large flies had not -yet appeared; the small blue dun was on the -water, and I was obliged to use a fly the same -as that which suits our spring and late autumnal -fishing. The fish refused all large flies, but -took greedily small ones; and, as usually -happens when small flies are used, more fish -escaped after being hooked than were taken; -and these I found, the next day, were become -as sagacious as our Dove or Test fish, and -refused the artificial fly, though they greedily -took the natural fly.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—These fish, then, have the same -habits as our English salmons and trouts?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_247'>247</span><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—The principle to which I have referred -in two former conversations must be -general, though it has seemed to me, that they -lost this memory sooner than the fish of our -English rivers, where fly fishing is common. -This, however, may be fancy, yet I have referred -it to a kind of hereditary disposition, -which has been formed and transmitted from -their progenitors.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—However strange it may appear, I -can believe this. When the early voyagers -discovered new islands, the birds upon them -were quite tame, and easily killed by sticks -and stones, being fearless of man; but they -soon learned to know their enemy, and this -newly acquired sagacity was possessed by their -offspring, who had never seen a man. Wild -and domesticated ducks are, in fact, from the -same original type: it is only necessary to -compare them, when hatched together under -a hen, to be convinced of the principle of the -hereditary transmission of habits,—the wild -young ones instantly fly from man, the tame -ones are indifferent to his presence.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—No one can be less disposed than -I am to limit the powers of living nature, or -to doubt the capabilities of organized structures; -<span class='pageno' id='Page_248'>248</span>but it does appear to me quite a dream, -to suppose that a fish, pricked by the hook of -the artificial fly, should transmit a dread of it -to its offspring, though he does not even long -retain the memory of it himself.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—There are instances quite as extraordinary—but -I will not dwell upon them, as -I am not quite sure of the fact which we are -discussing; I have made a guess only, and -we must observe more minutely to establish -it; it may be even as you suppose—a mere -dream.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I shall go and look at the fall: -I am really satiated with sport; this is the -twentieth fish I have taken in an hour, and it -is a grayling of at least fifteen inches long; -and there is a trout of eighteen, and several -salmon trout, which look as if they had run -from the sea.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—These salmon trout have run from -a sea, but not from a salt sea; they are fish of -the Traun See, as it is called by the Germans, -or Traun Lake, which is emptied by this river.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—Tell us why they are so different -from the river trout, or why there should be -two species or varieties in the same water.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Your question is a difficult one, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_249'>249</span>it has already been referred to in a former -conversation; but I shall repeat what I stated -before,—that qualities occasioned by food, peculiarities -of water, &c. are transmitted to the -offspring, and produce varieties which retain -their characters as long as they are exposed to the -same circumstances, and only slowly lose them. -Plenty of good food gives a silvery colour and -round form to fish, and the offspring retain -these characters. Feeding much on larvæ and -on shell-fish thickens the stomach, and gives -a brighter yellow to the belly and fins, which -become hereditary characters. Even these -smallest salmon trout have green backs, <em>only</em> -black spots, and silvery bellies; from which it -is evident, that they are the offspring of lake -trout, or <i><span lang="de" xml:lang="de">lachs forelle</span></i>, as it is called by the -Germans; whilst the river trout, even when -4 or 5lbs., as we see in one of these fish, -though in excellent season, have red spots.—But -why that exclamation?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet</span>.—What an immense fish! There he is!</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal</span>.—I see nothing.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poet</span>.—At the edge of the pool, below the -fall, I saw a fish, at least two or three feet -long, rising with great violence in the water, -as if in the pursuit of small fish; and at the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_250'>250</span>same time I saw two or three minnows or -bleaks jump out of the water. What fish is -it?—a trout? It appeared to me too long and -too slender for a trout, and had more the character -of a pike;—yet it followed, and did not, -like a pike, make a single dart.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I see him: it is neither a pike nor -a trout, but a fish which I have been some -time hoping and expecting to see here, below -the fall—a <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">salmo hucho</span></i>, or <i><span lang="de" xml:lang="de">huchen</span></i>. I am delighted, -that you have an opportunity of seeing -this curious fish, and of observing his habits. -I hope we shall catch him.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Catch him! we have no tackle -strong enough.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I am surprised to hear a salmon -fisher talk so: yet he <em>is</em> too large to take a -fly, and must be trolled for. We must spin -a bleak for him, or small fish, as we do for -the trout of the Thames or the salmon of the -Tay. Ornither, you understand the arrangement -of this kind of tackle—look out in my -book the strongest set of spinning hooks you -can find, and supply them with a bleak; and -whilst I am changing the reel, I will give you -all the information (which, I am sorry to say, -is not much) that I have been able to collect -<span class='pageno' id='Page_251'>251</span>respecting this fish from my own observation -or the experience of others. The hucho is the -most predatory fish of the salmo genus, and -is made like an ill-fed trout, but longer and -thicker. He has larger teeth, more spines in -the pectoral fin, a thicker skin, a silvery belly, -and dark spots only on the back and sides—I -have never seen any on the fins. The ratio -of his length to his girth is as 8 to 18, or, in -well fed fish, as 9 to 20; and a fish, 18 inches -long by 8 in girth, weighed 16,215 grains. -Another, 2 feet long, 11 inches in girth, and -3 inches thick, weighed 4lbs. 2¼oz. Another, -26 inches long, weighed 5lbs. 5oz. Of the -spines in the fins, the anal has 9, the caudal -20, the ventral 9, the dorsal 12, the pectoral -17: having numbered the spines in many, I -give this as correct. The fleshy fin belonging -to the genus is, I think, larger in this species -than in any I have seen. Bloch, in his work -on fishes, states that there are black spots on -all the fins, with the exception of the anal, as -a character of this fish: and Professor Wagner -informs me he has seen huchos with this -peculiarity; but, as I said before, I never saw -any fish with spotted fins—yet I have examined -those of the Danube, Save, Drave, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_252'>252</span>Mur, and Izar: perhaps this is peculiar to -some stream in Bavaria—yet the huchos in -the collection at Munich have it not. The -hucho is found in most rivers tributary to the -Danube—in the Save and Laybach rivers -always; yet the general opinion is, that they -run from the Danube twice a year, in spring and -autumn. I can answer for their migration in -spring, having caught several in April, in -streams connected with the Save and Laybach -rivers, which had evidently come from the -still dead water into the clear running streams, -for they had the winter leech, or louse of the -trout upon them: and I have seen them of -all sizes, in April, in the market at Laybach, -from six inches to two feet long; but they are -found much larger, and reach 30, or even 40, -pounds. It is the opinion of some naturalists, -that it is <em>only</em> a fresh water fish; yet this I -doubt, because it is never found beyond certain -falls—as in the Traun, the Drave, and -the Save; and, there can be no doubt, comes -into these rivers from the Danube; and probably, -in its larger state, is a fish of the Black -Sea. Yet it can winter in fresh water; and -does not seem, like the salmon, obliged to haunt -the sea, but falls back into the warmer waters -<span class='pageno' id='Page_253'>253</span>of the great rivers, from which it migrates in -spring, to seek a cooler temperature and to -breed. The fishermen at Gratz say they -spawn in the Mur, between March and May. -In those I have caught at Laybach, which, -however, were small ones, the ova were not -sufficiently developed to admit of their spawning -that spring. Marsigli says, that they -spawn in the Danube in June. You have -seen how violently they pursue their <a id='prey'></a>prey: I -have never taken one without fish in his stomach; -yet, when small, they will take a fly. -In the <a id='klein'></a>Kleingraben, which is a feeder to the -Laybach river, and where they are found of -all sizes—from 20lbs. downwards—the little -ones take a fly, but the large ones are too -ravenous to care about so insignificant a morsel, -and prey like the largest trout, often hunting -in company, and chasing the small fish into the -narrow and shallow streams, and then devouring -them.—But I see your tackle is ready. -As a more experienced angler in this kind of -fishing, you will allow me to try my fortune with -this fish. I still see him feeding; but I must -keep out of sight, for he has all the timidity -peculiar to the salmo genus, and, if he catch -sight of me, will certainly not run at the bait.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_254'>254</span><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—You spin the bleak for him, I see, -as for a great trout. O! there! he has run at -it—and you have missed him. What a fish! -You surely were too quick, for he sprung out -of the water at the bleak.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I was not too quick; but he rose -just as the bleak was on the surface, and saw me.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I think I see him moving in another -part of the pool.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—You are right; he has run again at the -bleak, but only as it shone on the surface. He -has taken it.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—He fights well, and runs towards -the side where the rock is.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Take the net and frighten him from -that place, which is the only one where there -is danger of loosing him. He is clear now, -and begins to tire, and in a few minutes more -he will be exhausted.—Now land him.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—A noble fish! But how like a -trout—exactly like a sea trout in whiteness, -and I think in spots.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—He is much narrower, or less broad, -as you would immediately discover, if you had -a sea trout here. But now we must try another -pool, or the tail of this; that fish was -not alone, and at the moment he took the bait, -I think I saw the water move from the stir -<span class='pageno' id='Page_255'>255</span>of another. Take your rod and fit your -own tackle, Ornither; half the glory of catching -this fish is yours, as you prepared -the hooks. I see you are in earnest; the -blood mounts in your face. Oh! oh! Ornither! -you have pulled with too much violence, -and broken your tackle. Alas! alas! -the fish you hooked was the consort of mine: -he will not take again.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—The gut was bad, for I do not think -I struck too violently. What a loss! How -hard, to let the first fish of the kind I ever -angled for escape me!</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—There are probably more: try again.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—Behold! the loss was more owing -to the imperfection of the tackle than to my -ardour; for the two end hooks only are gone, -and you may see the gut worn.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—The thing is done, and is not worth -comment. If you can, let the next fish that -rises hook himself. When we are ardent, we -are bad judges of the effort we make; and an -angler, who could be cool with a new species -of salmo, I should not envy. Now all is right -again: try that pool. There is a fish—ay! -and another, that runs at your bait; but they -are small ones, not much more than twice as -large as the bleak; yet they show their spirit, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_256'>256</span>and though they cannot swallow it, they have -torn it. Put on another bleak. There! you -have another run.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—Ay, it is a small fish, not much more -than a foot long; yet he fights well.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—You have him, and I will land him. -I do not think such a fish a bad initiation into -this kind of sport. He does not agitate so much -as a larger one, and yet gratifies curiosity. -There, we have him. A very beautiful fish; -yet he has the leech, or louse, though his belly -is quite white.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—This fish is so like a trout, that, had -I caught him when alone, I should hardly -have remarked his peculiarities; and I am not -convinced, that it is not a variety of the common -trout, altered, in many generations, by the -predatory habits of his ancestors.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—How far the principle of change of -character and transmission of such character -to the offspring will apply, I shall not attempt -to determine, and whether all the varieties of -the salmo with teeth in their mouth may not -have been produced from one original; yet -this fish is <em>now</em> as distinct from the trout, as -the <em>char</em> or the <em>umbla</em> is; and in Europe, it -exists only below great falls in streams connected -<span class='pageno' id='Page_257'>257</span>with the Danube, and is never found in -rivers of the same districts connected with the -Rhine, Elbe, or which empty themselves into -the Mediterranean; though trout are common -in all these streams, and salmon and sea trout -in those connected with the ocean. According -to the descriptions of Pallas, it occurs in -the rivers of Siberia, and probably exists in -those that run into the Caspian; and it is remarkable, -that it is not found where the eel is -usual—at least this applies to all the tributary -streams of the Danube, and, it is said, to the -rivers of Siberia. Wherever I have seen it, -there have been always coarse fish—as chub, -white fish, bleak, &c., and rivers containing -such fish are its natural haunts, for it requires -abundance of food, and serves to convert these -indifferent poor fish into a better kind of -nourishment for man. We will now examine -the interior of these fish. You see the stomach -is larger than that of a trout, and the stomachs -of both are full of small fish. In the larger -one there is a chub, a grayling, a bleak, and two -or three small carp. The skin you see is thick; -the scales are smaller than those of a trout; it -has no teeth on the palate, and the pectoral -fin has four spines more, which, I think, enables -<span class='pageno' id='Page_258'>258</span>it to turn with more rapidity. You will -find at dinner, that, fried or roasted, he is a -good fish. His flesh is white, but not devoid -of curd; and though rather softer than that of -a trout, I have never observed in it that <em>muddiness</em>, -or peculiar flavour, which sometimes -occurs in trout, even when in perfect season.</p> - -<p class='c006'>I shall say a few words more on the habits -of this fish. The hucho, as you have seen, -preys with great violence, and pursues his -object as a foxhound or a greyhound does. I -have seen them in repose: they lie like pikes, -perfectly still, and I have watched one for many -minutes, that never moved at all. In this -respect their habits resemble those of most -<a id='carn'></a>carnivorous and predatory animals. It is probably -in consequence of these habits, that they -are so much infested by lice, or leeches, which -I have seen so numerous in spring as almost -to fill their gills, and interfere with their respiration, -in which case they seek the most -rapid and turbulent streams to free themselves -from these enemies. They are very shy, and -after being hooked avoid the baited line. I -once saw a hucho, for which I was fishing, -follow the small fish, and then the lead of the -tackle; it seemed as if <em>this</em> had fixed his attention, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_259'>259</span>and he never offered at the bait afterwards. -I think a hucho, that has been pricked by the -hook, becomes particularly cautious, and possesses, -in this respect, the same character as -the salmon. In summer, when they are found -in the roughest and most violent currents, -their fins (particularly the caudal fin) often -appear worn and broken; at this season they -are usually in constant motion against the -stream, and are stopped by no cataract or dam, -unless it be many feet in height, and quite inaccessible. -In the middle of September I -have caught huchos perfectly clean in rapid cool -streams, tributary to the Laybach and the Sava -rivers; and, from the small developement of -their generative system at this time, I have -no doubt that they spawn in spring. On the -13th of September, 1828, I caught, by spinning -the dead small fish, three huchos, that -had not a single leech upon their bodies, and -they were the first fish of the kind I ever saw -free from these parasites.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—I am so much pleased with my good -fortune in catching this fish, that I shall try -all day to-morrow with the bait, for more of -the same kind.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—You may do so; but many of these -<span class='pageno' id='Page_260'>260</span>fish cannot be caught; they migrate generally -when the water is foul, and, except in the -spring and autumn, do not so readily run at -the bait. I was once nearly a month seeking -for one in rivers in which they are found, -between the end of June and that of July, -without being able to succeed in even <em>seeing</em> -one alive; and as far as my information goes, -the two places where there is most probability -of taking them, are at Laybach and Ratisbon, -in the tributary streams to the Sava, and in -the <a id='danube'></a>Danube; and the best time, in the first of -these situations, is in March and April, and -in the second, in May. I am told, likewise, -that the Izar, which runs by Munich, is a -stream where they may be caught, when the -water is clear: but I have never fished in this -stream—it having been foul, either from rain, -or the melting of the snows, whenever I -have been at Munich; but I have seen in the -fish-market at Munich very large huchos. -Late in the autumn, or in early spring, this -river must be an interesting one to fish in, -as the <i><span lang="de" xml:lang="de">schill</span></i>, or <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">perca lucio perca</span></i>, and three -other species of <i>perca</i> are found in it—the -zingel, the apron, and the <i>perca</i> schratz—all -fish of prey, and excellent food. I have eaten -<span class='pageno' id='Page_261'>261</span>them, but never taken them; they are rare in -European rivers, though not, like the hucho, -peculiar to the tributary streams of the Danube. -The schill is found likewise in the Sprey and in -the Hungarian lakes, and, according to Bloch, -the zingel in the Rhone.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I should like extremely to fish in -the Izar: it is, I think, a new kind of pleasure -to take a new kind of fish, even though it is -not unknown to Natural Historians. But the -most exquisite kind of angling, in my opinion, -would be that of angling in a river never fished -in by Europeans before; and I can scarcely -imagine sport of a higher kind than that which -involves a triple source of pleasure—catching -a fish, procuring good food for the table, and -making a discovery in Natural History, at the -same time. Sir Joseph Banks, who was -always a great amateur of angling, had often this -kind of gratification. And to Captain Franklin -and Dr. Richardson, in their expedition to -the Arctic Ocean, when they were almost -starving, what a delightful circumstance it -must have been, to have taken with a fly those -large grayling, which they mention, of a new -species, equally beautiful in their appearance, -and good for the table!</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_262'>262</span><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—When a boy, I have felt an interest -in sea fishing, for this reason—that there was -a variety of fish; but the want of skill in the -amusement—sinking a bait with a lead and -pulling up a fish by main force, soon made -me tired of it. Since I have been a fly-fisher, -I have rarely fished in the sea, and then -only with a reel and fine tackle from the rocks, -which is at least as interesting an amusement -as that of the Cockney fishermen, who fish -for roach and dace in the Thames, which I -have tried twice in my life, but shall never try -again.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—You are severe on Cockney fishermen, -and, I suppose, would apply to <em>them -only</em>, the observation of Dr. Johnson, which -on a former occasion you would not allow to -be just: “Angling is an amusement with a -stick and a string; a worm at one end, and a -fool at the other.” And to yourself you would -<a id='apply'></a>apply it with this change: “a fly at one end, -and a philosopher at the other.” Yet the -pleasure of the Cockney Angler appears to me -of much the same kind, and perhaps more continuous -than yours; and he has the happiness -of constant occupation and perpetual pursuit -in as high a degree as you have; and if we -<span class='pageno' id='Page_263'>263</span>were to look at the real foundations of your -pleasure, we should find them, like most of the -foundations of human happiness—vanity or -folly. I shall never forget the impression -made upon me some years ago, when I was -standing on the pier at Donegal, watching the -flowing of the tide: I saw a lame boy of fourteen -or fifteen years old, very slightly clad, -that some persons were attempting to stop in -his progress along the pier; but he resisted -them with his crutches, and, halting along, -threw himself from an elevation of five or six -feet, with his crutches, and a little parcel of -wooden boats, that he carried under his arm, -on the sand of the beach. He had to scramble -or halt at least 100 yards, over hard rocks, -before he reached the water, and he several -times fell down and cut his naked limbs on the -bare stones. Being in the water, he seemed -in an ecstacy, and immediately put his boats in -sailing order, and was perfectly inattentive to -the counsel and warning of the spectators, who -shouted to him, that he would be drowned. -His whole attention was absorbed by his boats. -He had formed an idea, that one should outsail -the rest, and when this boat was foremost he -was in delight; but if any one of the others -<span class='pageno' id='Page_264'>264</span>got beyond it he howled with grief; and once -I saw him throw his crutch at one of the unfavoured -boats. The tide came in rapidly—he -lost his crutches, and would have been -drowned, but for the care of some of the spectators: -he was however wholly inattentive to any -thing save his boats. He is said to be quite -insane and perfectly ungovernable, and will not -live in a house, or wear any clothes, and his -whole life is spent in this one business—making -and managing a fleet of wooden boats, -of which he is sole admiral. How near this -mad youth is to a genius, a hero, or to an angler, -who injures his health and risks his life by -going into the water as high as his middle, in -the hope of catching a fish which he sees rise, -though he already has a pannier full.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Or a statesman, working by all means, -fair and foul, to obtain a blue ribband. Or a fox-hunter, -risking his neck to see the hounds destroy -an animal, which he preserves to be destroyed, -and which is good for nothing. Or an -aged, licentious voluptuary, using all the powers -of a high and cultivated intellect to destroy -the innocence of a beautiful virgin—for a -transient gratification to render her miserable, -and by making a flaw in an inestimable and -brilliant gem, utterly to destroy its value.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_265'>265</span><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—You might go on and cite almost -all the objects of pursuit of rational beings, as, -by distinction, they are called. But to return to -your favourite amusement. I wonder, that, with -such a passion for angling, you have never -made an expedition in one of our whalers—with -Captain Scoresby for instance: you would then -have enjoyed sport of a new kind.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I should like much to see a whale -taken, but I do not think the sight worth -the dangers and privations of such a voyage. -It would only be an amusing spectacle and -not an enterprise, unless indeed I employed -myself the harpoon; and after all it must be -a tedious operation, that of watching the sinking -and rising of a fish obedient to a natural -instinct, which, in this instance, is the cause of -his death.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—How?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—The whale, having no air bladder, -can sink to the lowest depths of the ocean, -and, mistaking the harpoon for the teeth of -a sword fish or a shark, he instantly descends, -this being his manner of freeing himself from -these enemies, who cannot bear the pressure -of a deep ocean, and from ascending and descending -in small space, he puts himself in the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_266'>266</span>power of the whaler; where as, if he knew his -force, and were to swim on the surface in a -straight line, he would break or destroy the -machinery by which he is arrested, as easily as a -salmon breaks the single gut of a fisher when -his reel is entangled.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—My amusement in such a voyage -would be to look for the kraken and the sea -snake.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—You have a vivid imagination, and -might see them.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Then you do not believe in the -existence of these wonderful animals?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—No more than I do in that of the -merman, or mermaid.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Yet we have histories, which seem -authentic, of the appearance of these monsters, -and there are not wanting persons who assert, -that they have seen the mermaid even in these -islands.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I disbelieve the authenticity of these -stories. I do not mean to deny the existence -of large marine animals having analogies to -the serpent; the conger we know is such an -animal: I have seen one nearly ten feet long, -and there may be longer ones, but such animals -do not come to the surface. The only -sea snake, that has been examined by naturalists, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_267'>267</span>turned out to be a putrid species of -shark—the <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">squalus maximus</span></i>. Yet all the -newspapers gave accounts of this as a real -animal, and endowed it with feet, which do -not belong to serpents. And the sea snakes, -seen by American and Norwegian captains, -have, I think, generally been a company of -porpoises, the rising and sinking of which in -lines would give somewhat the appearance of -the coils of a snake. The kraken, or island -fish, is still more imaginary. I have myself -seen immense numbers of enormous <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">urticæ -marinæ</span></i>, or blubbers, in the north seas, and in -some of the Norwegian <em>fiords</em>, or inland bays, -and often these beautiful creatures give colour -to the water; but it is exceedingly improbable, -that an animal of this genus should ever -be of the size, even of the whale; its soft -materials are little fitted for locomotion, and -would be easily destroyed by every kind of -fish. Hands and a finny tail are entirely -contrary to the analogy of nature, and I -disbelieve the mermaid upon philosophical -principles. The dugong and manatee are the -only animals combining the functions of the -mammalia with some of the characters of -fishes, that can be <a id='imagined'></a>imagined, even as a link, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_268'>268</span>this part of the order of nature. Many of -these stories have been founded upon the long-haired -seal seen at a distance, others on the -appearance of the common seal under particular -circumstances of light and shade, and -some on still more singular circumstances. A -worthy baronet, remarkable for his benevolent -views and active spirit, has propagated a story -of this kind, and he seems to claim for his -native country the honour of possessing this -extraordinary animal; but the mermaid of -Caithness was certainly a <em>gentleman</em>, who -happened to be travelling on that wild shore, -and who was seen bathing by some young -ladies at so great a distance, that not only -<em>genus</em> but gender was mistaken. I am acquainted -with him, and have had the story -from his own mouth. He is a young man, -fond of geological pursuits, and one day in the -middle of August, having fatigued and heated -himself by climbing a rock to examine a particular -appearance of a granite, he gave his clothes -to his Highland guide, who was taking care of -his pony, and descended to the sea. The -sun was just setting, and he amused himself -for some time by swimming from rock to rock, -and having unclipped hair and no cap, he -<span class='pageno' id='Page_269'>269</span>sometimes threw aside his locks, and wrung -the water from them on the rocks. He happened -the year after to be at Harrowgate, and -was sitting at table with two young ladies -from Caithness, who were relating to a wondering -audience the story of the mermaid they -had seen, which had already been published -in the newspapers: they described her, as she -usually is described by poets, as a beautiful -animal, with remarkably fair skin, and long -green hair. The young gentleman took the -liberty, as most of the rest of the company -did, to put a few questions to the elder of the -two ladies—such as, on what day and precisely -where this singular phenomenon had -appeared. She had noted down, not merely -the day, but the hour and minute, and produced -a map of the place. Our bather referred -to his journal, and showed, that a human -animal was swimming in the very spot at that -very time, who had some of the characters -ascribed to the mermaid, but who laid no claim -to others, particularly the green hair and fish’s -tail; but being rather sallow in the face, was -glad to have such testimony to the colour of his -body beneath his garments.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—But I do not understand upon -<span class='pageno' id='Page_270'>270</span>what philosophical principles you deny the existence -of the mermaid. We are not necessarily -acquainted with all the animals that -inhabit the bottom of the sea; and I cannot -help thinking there must have been some -foundation for the fable of the Tritons and -Nereids.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Ay; and of the ocean divinities, Neptune -and Amphitrite!</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Now I think you are prejudiced.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I remember the worthy baronet, whom -I just now mentioned, on some one praising -the late Sir Joseph Banks very highly, -said, “Sir Joseph was an excellent man—but -he had his prejudices.” What were they? said -my friend. “Why, he did not believe in the -mermaid.” Pray still consider me as the -baronet did Sir Joseph—prejudiced on this -subject.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—But give us some reasons for the impossibility -of the existence of this animal.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Nay, I did not say impossibility; I am -too much of the school of Isaac Walton to talk -of impossibility. It doubtless might please God -to make a mermaid; but I do not believe God -ever did make one.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—And why?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_271'>271</span><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Because wisdom and order are found -in all his works, and the parts of animals are -always in harmony with each other, and always -adapted to certain ends consistent with the -analogy of nature; and a human head, human -hands, and human mammæ, are wholly inconsistent -with a fish’s tail. The human head is -adapted for an erect posture, and in such a -posture an animal with a fish’s tail could not -swim; and a creature with lungs must be on -the surface several times in a day—and the -sea is an inconvenient breathing place; and -hands are instruments of manufacture—and -the depths of the ocean are little fitted for -fabricating that mirror which our old prints -gave to the mermaid. Such an animal, if created, -could not long exist; and, with scarcely -any locomotive powers, would be the prey of -other fishes, formed in a manner more suited -to their element. I have seen a most absurd -fabrication of a mermaid, exposed as a show -in London, said to have been found in the -Chinese seas, and bought for a large sum of -money. The head and bust of two different -apes were fastened to the lower part of a kipper -salmon, which had the fleshy fin, and all the -distinct characters, of the <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">salmo salar</span></i>.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_272'>272</span><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—And yet there were people who believed -this to be a real animal.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—It was insisted on, to prove the truth -of the Caithness story. But what is there -which people will not believe?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—In listening to your conversation -we have forgotten our angling, and have lost -some moments of fine cloudy weather.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I thought you were tired of catching -trouts and graylings, and I therefore did not -urge you to continue your <a id='fly'></a>fly-fishing; and -this part of the river does not contain so many -grayling as the pools above—but there are -good trout, and it is possible there may be -huchos. Let me recommend to you to put on -minnow tackle—that tackle with the five small -hooks; and, as we have minnows and bleaks, -you may perhaps hook trout, or even huchos; -and in half an hour our fish dinner at the inn -will be ready. I shall return there, to see -that all is right, and shall expect you when -you have finished your fishing.</p> - -<p class='c005'>[<i>They all meet in the dining-room of the -inn.</i>]</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Well, what sort of sport have you -had since I left you?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_273'>273</span><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—We have each caught a trout and -two large chubs, and have had two or three -runs besides—but we saw no huchos; and -though several large grayling rose in one of -the streams, and we tried to catch them by -spinning the minnow in every possible way, -yet they took no notice of our bait.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—This is usually the case. I have -heard of anglers who have taken grayling with -minnows, but it is a rare occurrence, and -never happened to me. Your dinner, I dare -say, is now ready; and you know it is a dinner -entirely of the <em>genus salmo</em>, with vegetables -and fruit. You have hucho from the Traun, -and char from Aussee, and trout from the -Traun See, that were brought alive to the inn, -and have only just been killed and crimped, -and are now boiling in salt and water; and -you have likewise grayling and laverets from -the Traun See, which are equally fresh, and -will be fried.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I think, in this part of the continent, -the art of carrying and keeping fish is better -understood than in England. Every inn has -a box containing grayling, trout, carp, or char, -into which water from a spring runs; and no -one thinks of carrying or sending <em>dead</em> fish -for a dinner. A fish barrel full of cool water, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_274'>274</span>which is replenished at every fresh source -amongst these mountains, is carried on the -shoulders of the fisherman. And the fish, -when confined in wells, are fed with bullock’s -liver, cut into fine pieces, so that they are -often in better season in the tank or stew than -when they were taken. I have seen trout, -grayling, and char even, feed voraciously, and -take their food almost from the hand. These -methods of carrying and preserving fish have, -I believe, been adopted from the monastic -establishments. At Admondt, in Styria, attached -to the magnificent monastery of that -name, are abundant ponds and reservoirs for -every species of fresh water fish; and the char, -grayling, and trout are preserved in different -waters—covered, enclosed, and under lock and -key.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I admire in this country not only -the mode of preserving, carrying, and dressing -fish, but I am delighted, generally, with the -habits of life of the peasants, and with their -manners. It is a country in which I should -like to live; the scenery is so beautiful, the -people so amiable and good-natured, and their -attentions to strangers so marked by courtesy -and disinterestedness.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_275'>275</span><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—They appear to me very amiable and -good; but all classes seem to be little instructed.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—There are few philosophers amongst -them, certainly; but they appear very happy, -and</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>Where ignorance is bliss, ’tis folly to be wise.</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c014'>We have neither seen nor heard of any instances -of crime since we have been here. They fear -their God, love their sovereign, are obedient to -the laws, and seem perfectly contented. I know -you would contrast them with the active and -educated peasantry of the manufacturing districts -of England; but I believe they are much -happier, and I am sure they are generally -better.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I doubt this: the sphere of enjoyment, -as well as of benevolence, is enlarged by -education.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I am sorry to say I think the system -carried too far in England. God forbid, -that any useful light should be extinguished! -Let persons who wish for education receive it; -but it appears to me, that, in the great cities in -England, it is, as it were, forced upon the population; -and that sciences, which the lower -classes can only very superficially acquire, are -<span class='pageno' id='Page_276'>276</span>presented to them; in consequence of which -they often become idle and conceited, and -above their usual laborious occupations. The -unripe fruit of the tree of knowledge is, I believe, -always bitter or sour; and scepticism and -discontent—sicknesses of the mind—are often -the results of devouring it.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Surely you cannot have a more religious, -more moral, or more improved population -than that of Scotland?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Precisely so. In Scotland, education -is not forced upon the people—it is sought -for, and is connected with their forms of faith, -acquired in the bosoms of their families, and -generally pursued with a distinct object of -prudence or interest: nor is that kind of education -wanting in this country.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—Where a book is rarely seen, a newspaper -never.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Pardon me—there is not a cottage -without a prayer book; and I am not sorry, -that these innocent and happy men are not -made active and tumultuous subjects of <i>King -Press</i>, whom I consider as the most capricious, -depraved, and unprincipled tyrant, that ever -existed in England. Depraved—for it is to be -bought by great wealth; capricious—because -<span class='pageno' id='Page_277'>277</span>it sometimes follows, and sometimes forms, the -voice of the lowest mob; and unprincipled—because, -when its interests are concerned, it -sets at defiance private feeling and private character, -and neither regards their virtue, dignity, -nor purity.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—My friends, you are growing warm. -I know you differ essentially on this subject; -but surely you will allow that the full liberty of -the press, even though it sometimes degenerates -into licentiousness, and though it may sometimes -be improperly used by the influence of wealth, -power, or private favour, is yet highly advantageous, -and even essential to the existence of -a free country; and, useful as it may be to the -population, it is still more useful to the government, -to whom, as expressing the voice of the -people, though not always <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">vox Dei</span></i>, it may be -regarded as oracular or prophetic.—But let us -change our conversation, which is neither in -time nor place.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—This river must be inexhaustible for -sport: I have nowhere seen so many fish.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—However full a river may be of trout -and grayling, there is a certain limit to the sport -of the angler, if continuous fishing be adopted -in the same pools. Every fish is in its turn -<span class='pageno' id='Page_278'>278</span>made acquainted by diurnal habit with the artificial -fly, and either taken or rendered cautious; -so that, in a river fished much by one or two -good anglers, many fish cannot be caught, except -under peculiar circumstances of very windy, -rainy, or cloudy weather, when many flies -come on; or at night, or at the time the water is -slightly coloured by a flood, or when fish change -their haunts in consequence of a great inundation. -In the Usk, in Monmouthshire, when it -was very full of fish in the best fishing time, -when the spring brown and dun flies were on the -water, it was not usual for some excellent anglers, -who composed a party of nine, and who -fished in this river for ten continuous days, to -catch more than two or three fish each person. -But one day, when the water was coloured by -a flood, in which case the artificial fly could not -be distinguished by the fish from the natural fly, -I caught twelve or fourteen of the same fish, -that had been in the habit of refusing my flies -for many days successively. This was in the -end of March, 1809, when the flies always came -on the water with great regularity; the blues in -dark days, the browns in bright days, between -twelve and two o’clock in the middle of the -day. In rivers where the artificial fly has -<span class='pageno' id='Page_279'>279</span>never been used, I believe all the fish will -mistake good imitations for natural flies, and in -their turn, to use an angler’s phrase, “taste -the steel;” but even very imperfect imitations -and coarse tackle, which are only successful -at night or in turbid water, are sufficient to -render fish cautious. This I am convinced of, -by observing the difference of the habits of fish -in strictly preserved streams, and in streams -where even peasants have fished with the -coarsest tackle. I might quote the Traun at -Ischl, where the native fisherman used three -or four of the <a id='coarse'></a>coarsest flies on the coarsest -hair links made of four or five or six hairs, -and the Traun at Gmunden, where they are -not allowed to fish. The fish that rose took -with much more certainty at Gmunden than at -Ischl.</p> - -<p class='c006'>At a time when many flies are on, particularly -large ones, a few days of continuous -fishing, even with a single rod, will soon make -the sport indifferent in the best rivers; but -the larger and the deeper the river the longer -it continues, because fish change their stations -occasionally, and pricked fish sometimes leave -their haunts, which are occupied by others; -and graylings are more disposed to change -their places than trouts.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_280'>280</span>As instances of the difference in this respect -between large and small rivers, I may quote -the Vockla and the Agger in Upper Austria. -The first of these rivers, when I fished in it -in 1818, was full of trout and grayling, and I -believe I was the first person, for at least many -years, that had ever thrown an artificial fly -upon it. It is a small stream, from eight to -fifteen yards wide, and can every where be -commanded by the double-handed rod, and is -generally shallow. The first day that I fished -in this stream, which was in the beginning of -August, at every throw I hooked a fish, and -I took out and restored again to their element -in the course of a few hours more than one -hundred and fifty trout and grayling. The -next day I fished in the same places, but with -a very different result: I caught only half a -dozen large fish: the third morning, going -over the same ground, I had great difficulty -even to get a brace of fish for my dinner, and -those, as well as I recollect, I caught by throwing -in places which had not been fished before. -I ought to mention, that the space of water -where this experiment was made did not -exceed half a mile in length. I shall now -speak of the Agger, which is a much larger -<span class='pageno' id='Page_281'>281</span>and deeper river than the Vockla, and cannot -be commanded in any part by a double-handed -rod, being at least from forty to sixty -yards across. The first time I fished this -river, I had the same kind of sport as in the -Vockla; the second day, under the same favourable -circumstances, there were fewer rises -than on the first day, but still sufficient to give -good sport; and it was the fourth day before -it became difficult to catch a good dish of fish, -and necessary to seek new water. The greater -depth of the water, and the change of place of -the fish, particularly the grayling, explain this, -to say nothing of the greater number of fish -which the larger river contained. I am, of -course, speaking of one of the best periods of -fly-fishing, when many large flies, of which -imitations are easily found, have been on the -water. In spring (a bad season for fly-fishing -in high Alpine countries) I have thrown great -varieties of flies on these two highly stocked -streams, and have found it difficult to get a -brace of fish for the table, as the trout and -grayling were all lying at the bottom, not expecting -any <em>winged food</em> at this season.</p> - -<p class='c006'>A river that runs into a large lake affords, -at its junction with the lake, by far the best -<span class='pageno' id='Page_282'>282</span>place for continuous angling, particularly for -trout in autumn. The fish are constantly -running up the river for the purpose of spawning, -and every day offers a succession of new -shoals, of which many will take the fly; I say -<em>many</em>, because at this season some of the fish, -particularly the females, are capricious, and refuse -a bait, of which, under other circumstances -they are greedy. I may say the same with -respect to the exit of a river from a lake, to -which successions of fishes resort, and though -trout are found abundantly in such places, yet -they are often still better places for grayling -when these fish exist in the lake, the tendency -of grayling being rather, as I said on another -occasion, to descend than to ascend waters, -whilst that of the trout is the contrary. The -same principles apply to salmon and sea-trout -fishing, which run up rivers from basins of the -sea: the best situations for continuous angling -are those parts of the river where there is a -succession of fishes from the tide.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—You spoke just now of peasants -fishing with the fly in Austria: I thought this -art was entirely English; and though I have -travelled much, I do not recollect ever to have -seen fly-fishing practised by native anglers -abroad.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_283'>283</span><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I assure you there are fishers with -the artificial fly in different parts of Switzerland, -Germany, and Illyria, though always -with rude tackle, and usually upon rapid -streams. Besides the Traun I can mention -the Rhine, the Rhone, and the Drave, as rivers -where I have seen fish caught with rude imitations -of flies used by native anglers. In -Italy, where trout and grayling are very rare, -and only found amongst the highest mountain -chains, I have never seen any fly-fishers, but -near Ravenna I have sometimes seen anglers -for frogs, who threw their bait exactly as we -throw a fly, and caught great numbers of these -animals: and the nature of their apparatus -surprised me more than their method of using -it. Instead of a hook and bait they employed -a small dry frog, tied to a long piece of twine, -the fore legs of which projected like two hooks, -and this they threw at a distance, by means -of a long rod. The frogs rose like fish and -gorged the small dry frog, by the legs of -which they were pulled out of the water. I -was informed by one of these fishermen, that -he sometimes took 200 frogs in this way in a -morning, and that the frogs never swallowed -<span class='pageno' id='Page_284'>284</span>any bait when still or apparently dead, but -caught at whatever was moving or appeared -alive on the surface of the water; so that this -amphibia feeds like a nobler animal, the eagle, -only on living prey.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—You say trout are rare in Italy, yet -on Ash-wednesday, a great day for the consumption -of fish in Rome, I remember to have -seen some large trout, which, I was told, were -from the Velino, above the falls of Terni.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I once went almost to the source of -this river, above Rieti, in the hopes of catching -trout, but I was unsuccessful. I saw some -taken by nets, but the fish were too few, and -the river too foul, from the deposition of calcareous -matter, to render it a good stream for -the angler. In this journey I saw some trout -in brooks in the Sabine country, that I dare -say might have been taken by the fly, but they -were small, and like the brook trout of England. -In these streams, as well as in the -Velino and other torrents, I found the water-ouzel, -which, as far as my knowledge extends, -is always a companion of the trout, and I -believe feeds much upon the same larvæ or -water-flies.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—These singular little birds, as I have -<span class='pageno' id='Page_285'>285</span>witnessed, walk under water. I have often -watched them running beneath the surface of -the sides of streams, and passing between -stones. I conclude they were then in the act -of searching for, or feeding upon larvæ.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I suppose so, and I hope Ornither -will shoot one to give us an opportunity of -examining the contents of their stomachs, and -of knowing with certainty the nature of their -food.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—The char<a id='r8' /><a href='#f8' class='c012'><sup>[8]</sup></a> is a most beautiful and -excellent fish, and is, of course, a fish of prey. -Is he not an object of sport to the angler?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—They generally haunt deep cool -lakes, and are seldom found at the surface till -late in the autumn. When they are at the -surface, however, they will take either fly or -minnow. I have known some caught in both -these ways; and have myself taken a char, -even in summer, in one of those beautiful, -small, deep lakes in the Upper Tyrol, near -Nazereit; but it was where a cool stream -entered from the mountain; and the fish did -not rise, but swallowed the artificial fly under -water. The char is always in its colour a very -brilliant fish, but in different countries there -<span class='pageno' id='Page_286'>286</span>are many varieties in the tint. I do not remember -ever to have seen more beautiful fish -than those of Aussee, which, when in perfect -season, have the lower fins and the belly of -the brightest <a id='ver'></a>vermilion, with a white line on -the outside of the pectoral, ventral, anal, and -lower part of the caudal fin, and with vermilion -spots, surrounded by the bright olive shade of -the sides and back: the dorsal fin in the char -has 11 spines, the pectoral 14, the ventral 9, -the anal 10, and the caudal 20. I have fished -for them in many lakes, without success, both -in England and Scotland, and also amongst the -Alps; and I am told the only sure way of -taking them is by sinking a line with a bullet, -and a hook having a live minnow attached -to it, in the deep water which they usually -haunt; and in this way, likewise, I have no -doubt the <em>umbla</em>, or <em>ombre chevalier</em>, might be -taken.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I have never happened to see this -fish.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—It is very like char in form, but is without -spots, and has a white and silvery belly. -On the table, its flesh cuts white or cream-colour, -and it is exceedingly like char in flavour. Feb. -11, 1827, one was brought me from the lake of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_287'>287</span>Bourget, in Savoy; it was said to be small for -this fish; it was 15 inches long, and 7½ in circumference. -In the dorsal fin there were 12 -spines, in the pectoral 9, in the ventral 8, in the -anal 11, and in the caudal 24.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Is it found in this country?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—From some descriptions I have heard -of certain species of the salmo found in the -Maun See, Traun See, and Leopoldstadt See, -I think it is. Bloch says, that it is peculiar to -the lakes of Geneva and Neufchatel; but what -I have just said must convince you of the inaccuracy -of this statement, as I dare say the -fish exists in other deep waters of a like character -amongst the Alps. It is a fish closely allied -to the char, and congenerous both in form and -habits.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—You mentioned, among the fish for -dinner, the laveret: I never heard of this fish -before.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—It is a fish known in England by the -name of <em>shelley</em>, or fresh water herring; in -Wales, by that of <em>guinead</em>; in Ireland, by that -of <em>pollan</em>; and in Scotland, by that of <em>vengis</em>. -In colour it is most like a grayling, but with -broader and larger scales: it is common in the -large lakes of most Alpine countries, and is -<span class='pageno' id='Page_288'>288</span>known at Geneva by the name of <em>ferra</em>; and -I believe that the <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">salmo ceruleus</span></i>, or <em>wartmann</em> -of Bloch, or the <i><span lang="de" xml:lang="de">gang-fisch</span></i> of the lake of -Constante, from a comparison that I made of -it with the <em>ferra</em>, is a variety of the same fish. -It sometimes is as large as 2lbs.; and when -quite fresh, and well fried or boiled, is an exceedingly -good fish, and calvers like a grayling. -The laveret of different lakes has appeared -to me to vary in the number of the spines in -the fins. One, brought me from the lake of -Zurich, 13 inches long, and 8 inches in girth, -had 12 spines in the dorsal fin, 15 in the -pectoral fins, 11 in the ventral, 13 in the anal, -and 18 in the caudal. The gang-fisch, from -the lake of Constanz, which was of a bluer -colour, but, I think decidedly, only a variety -of the same fish, was 7¾ inches long, and 4 in -girth, had 12 spines in the dorsal fin, 15 in -the pectoral, 11 in the ventral, 12 in the anal, -and 18 in the caudal. A laveret, from the -Traun See, had 12 spines in the dorsal fin, 17 -in the pectoral, 13 in the ventral fin, 12 in the -anal fin, and 24 in the caudal fin. One from the -Hallstadt See was a larger and broader fish, but -did not differ from the laveret, of the Traun -See, except in having two spines less in the tail.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Is this fish ever taken with the line?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_289'>289</span><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I believe only with nets. It feeds -on vegetables; and in the stomachs of those I -have opened, I have never found either flies or -small fishes.</p> - -<h3 class='c010'>AT TABLE.</h3> - -<p class='c016'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—Now the hucho is dressed, and on -the same table with other species of the salmo, -I perceive his peculiarities more distinctly; -and, in addition to those you have mentioned, -he appears to me to have a stronger upper -jaw, and a larger projection of bone below the -orbit of the eye.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—He has; and you will find a similar -character in the pike and perch, and, I believe, -in most fishes of prey; and the use of it seems -to be, to strengthen the fulcrum of the lever -on which the lower jaw moves, so as to afford -the means of greater strength to the whole -muscular apparatus, by means of which the -fish seizes his prey.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—These fishes, then, are analogous -to the predatory animals of the feline genus, -which have this part of the head exceedingly -strong; and it is here that the craniologists or -phrenologists fix the organ of courage: does -<span class='pageno' id='Page_290'>290</span>not this extensive chain of analogies offer an argument -in favour of this long agitated and generally -unpopular doctrine?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—In my opinion, it offers, like most of -the facts which have been brought forward to -prove the truths of the view of Gall and Spurzheim, -an argument rather unfavourable, when -thoroughly and minutely examined.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—How?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—In these rapacious and predatory -animals, the organization of the head must be -connected with the functions of the jaws, as -the construction of the shoulder-blade must be -related to the use of the fore leg, which, being -intended to strike and seize by talons, must -have a powerful support and a strong bony -apparatus in the shoulder, which might as -well be called the organ of courage as the -projection below the frontal bone: but these -animals have no more what is called courage -in man, than they have what is called reason: -they face danger when they are hungry, but -almost always fly when their appetite is satisfied: -a hen, in defending her chickens against -a powerful dog, or the game cock, in fighting -for the female, or the timid stag, at the time of -the sexual intercourse, shows quite as much of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_291'>291</span>this quality as the most ferocious royal tiger. -Courage is the result of strong passions or -strong motives; and in man it usually results -from the love of glory or the fear of shame; -and it appears to me a perfectly absurd idea, -that of connecting it with an organ, which is -merely intended to assist the predatory habits -and the mastication of a carnivorous animal.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I agree with Physicus in this view of -the subject. I once heard a physiologist of -some reputation deducing an argument in favour -of craniology from the form of the skull of the -beaver, which he called a constructive animal, -and contended, that there was something -of the same character in the skulls of distinguished -architects: now, the skull of the beaver -is so formed, that he is able to use his jaws for -cutting down the trees with which he makes his -dam; and if this analogy were correct, the -architect ought unquestionably to employ his -teeth for the same purpose; and though I have -known distinguished men, who have been in the -habit of using knives for cutting furniture with a -sort of nervous restlessness of hand, I do not -recollect to have heard of the teeth being employed -in the same way; and I think it would -be quite as correct, to find the architectural or -<span class='pageno' id='Page_292'>292</span>constructive organ in the opposite part of the -body, the tail, as the beaver makes a more ingenious -use of this part than even of his mouth. -Pray, have you ever observed, Poietes, any particular -protuberance in the nether parts of any of -our distinguished architects?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I am not a craniologist; but I would -have the doctrine overturned by facts, and not by -ridicule; and I have certainly seen some remarkable -instances, which were favourable to -the system.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—My experience is entirely on the -opposite side; and I once saw a distinguished -craniologist in error on a point, which he considered -as the most decided. He was shown -two children, one of whom was possessed of -great mathematical acquirements, the other -of extraordinary musical taste. With the utmost -confidence he pronounced judgment, and -was mistaken. It appeared to me, that, whilst -he was examining the two heads, he hummed -an air, which, being out of tune, was not responded -to by the musical child; but somehow -struck the fancy of the mathematical -one.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—This hucho is a very good fish, and, -indeed, I can praise all the varieties of the -salmon on the table that I have yet tasted.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_293'>293</span><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—Amongst them, I prefer the char, -which, I think, is even better than the best -fresh salmon I ever tasted.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—This char is surprisingly red and -full of curd; I wonder at its fat: It comes from -the Grundtl See, which is a high Alpine lake, -covered with ice more than half the year: -what food can the fish find in so pure and -cold a water?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Minnows and small chubs are found -in this lake; and the flies which haunt it in -summer have been aquatic larvæ in the autumn, -winter, and spring; and there are -usually great quantities of small shell fish, -which live in the deeper parts of this water; -so that char may find food even in winter; -and cold, or the repose to which it leads, -seems favourable to the development or conservation -of fat. Most of the polar animals -(the whale, <a id='moose'></a>moose, seal, and white bear, for -instance) are loaded with this substance; and -the salmon of the Arctic Ocean are remarkable -for their quantity of curd: those that run -up the rivers in Russia from the White Sea -are said to be fatter and better, than those -caught in the streams which run into the -Baltic.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_294'>294</span><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—I agree with Physicus in his praise -of the char: we are indebted to you for an -excellent entertainment.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—At Lintz, on the Danube, I could -have given you a fish dinner of a different -description, which you might have liked as -a variety. The four kinds of perch, the <i><span lang="de" xml:lang="de">spiegel -carpfen</span></i>, and the <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">siluris glanis</span></i>; all good fish, -and which I am sorry we have not in England, -where I doubt not they might be easily -naturalized, and they would form an admirable -addition to the table in inland counties. -Since England has become Protestant, the -cultivation of fresh water fish has been much -neglected. The <em>burbot</em>, or lotte, which already -exists in some of the streams tributary -to the Trent, and which is a most admirable -fish, might be diffused without much difficulty; -and nothing could be more easy than to naturalize -the <i><span lang="de" xml:lang="de">spiegel carpfen</span></i> and <i>siluris</i>; and -I see no reason why the <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">perca lucio perca</span></i> and -<i><span lang="de" xml:lang="de">zingel</span></i> should not succeed in some of our clear -lakes and ponds, which abound in coarse fish. -The new Zoölogical Society, I hope, will attempt -something of this kind; and it will be -a better object than introducing birds and -beast of prey—though I have no objection to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_295'>295</span>any source of rational amusement or philosophical -curiosity.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—A fish dinner such as you have -just described, combined with one such as -we have enjoyed to-day, might, I think, be -made an interesting experimental lecture on -natural history. The analogies of the different -species and genera of fishes, so distinct -in the form of their organs, are likewise marked -in the appearance and taste of their flesh. -The salmon and the char may be regarded as -the generic types of the salmo. By trout, -which have sometimes red and sometimes -white flesh, they are connected with the grayling -and hucho. By the grayling the trout is -connected with the laveret, and by the laveret -the genus salmo is connected with the carp -genus. The char is immediately connected -with the grayling, and laveret by the umbula. -By the sea trout the salmon is connected with -the trout; and by the hucho, with the pike -and perch families.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—We will arrange a dinner of this -kind in England, and by means of it follow -the analogies of salt and fresh water fishes. But -the time for our parting is almost arrived.—Let -<span class='pageno' id='Page_296'>296</span>us drink a glass each of this old wine of -the Danube to our next happy meeting, and -go and take a last look of the Fall of Traun, -whilst our carriages are preparing.</p> - -<p class='c005'>[<i>They walk to the rock above the Fall of -the Traun.</i>]</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—See, the cataract is now in great -beauty; the river above is coloured by the -setting sun, and the glow of the rosy light on -the upper stream is beautifully and wonderfully -contrasted with the tints of the cataract below. -Have you ever seen any thing so fine?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—The lights are beautiful; but I -have certainly seen a finer combination of features -in the Fall of the Velino, at Terni, though -that water is not clear; but, even with this -defect, it is certainly the most perfect of European -falls. This cascade of the Traun, though -not so elevated as that of Terni, and not so -large as that of Schaffhausen, yet, from its perfect -clearness, and the harmony of the surrounding -objects, ranks high, as to picturesque effect, -amongst the waterfalls of Europe; and the -wonderful transparency of its pale-green water -gives it a peculiar charm in my eyes, enhanced -<span class='pageno' id='Page_297'>297</span>as it is now by the light of the glowing western -sky; and the tints of the quadrant iris on its -spray are not brighter than those of its stream -and foam.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—We have now followed this water at -least thirty miles, and wherever we have seen it, -it has always displayed the same characters of -clearness and rapidity—of green stream and -white foam; and we have traced it from the -snowy mountains of Styria to the plains of -Upper Austria, where it serves to purify the -darker Danube. How is it, that it has preserved -its transparency, though so many of its tributary -streams have been foul, either from the -thunder storm, or from the sudden melting of -snows?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—The three small lakes and the two -larger ones, which are in fact its reservoirs, -are the cause of this. The Gründtl See furnishes -its principal stream, and this lake is fed -by two others—Töplitz See and Lahngen See; -and the tributary streams, which unite at Aussee, -from Alten Aussee and Oden See, though -one is blue and the other yellow, yet combine -to give a tint, which is nearly the same -as that from the stream of the Gründtl See, and -which the river retains throughout its course -<span class='pageno' id='Page_298'>298</span>Yet I have seen even this river very foul, but -only in a part of its course, below Ischel. I -was once at that place, when the thunder -storm of a night having washed the dust of the -roads into the river, it was extremely turbid -from Ischel to the Traun See. It rendered -the upper part of this large lake coloured; but, -notwithstanding this, the river came from the -lower part of it perfectly clear, and I caught fish -in it there with a fly, which, at its entrance into -the lake was quite impossible.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—You, Halieus, must certainly have -considered the <em>causes</em> which produce the -colours of waters. The streams of our own -island are of a very different colour from these -mountain rivers, and why should the same -element or substance assume such a variety of -tints?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I certainly have often thought upon -the subject, and I have made some observations -and <em>one</em> experiment in relation to it. I -will give you my opinion with pleasure, and, -as far as I know, they have not been brought -forward in any of the works on the properties -of water, or on its consideration as a chemical -element. The purest water with which we -are acquainted is undoubtedly that which falls -<span class='pageno' id='Page_299'>299</span>from the atmosphere. Having touched air -alone, it can contain nothing but what it gains -from the atmosphere, and it is distilled without -the chance of those impurities, which may -exist in the vessels used in an artificial operation. -We cannot well examine the water -precipitated from the atmosphere, as rain, without -collecting it in vessels, and all artificial -contact gives more or less of contamination; -but in snow, melted by the sunbeams, that -has fallen on glaciers, themselves formed from -frozen snow, water may be regarded as in its -state of greatest purity. Congelation expels -both salts and air from water, whether existing -below, or formed in, the atmosphere; and in -the high and uninhabited regions of glaciers, -there can scarcely be any substances to contaminate. -Removed from animal and vegetable -life, they are even above the mineral kingdom; -and though there are instances in which the -rudest kind of vegetation (of the fungus or -mucor kind) is even found upon snows, yet this -is a rare occurrence; and red snow, which is -occasioned by it, is an extraordinary and not -a common phenomenon towards the pole, and -on the highest mountains of the globe. Having -examined the water formed from melted snow -<span class='pageno' id='Page_300'>300</span>on glaciers in different parts of the Alps, and -having always found it of the same quality, -I shall consider it as pure water, and describe -its characters. Its colour, when it has any -depth, or when a mass of it is seen through, -is bright blue; and, according to its greater or -less depth of substance, it has more or less -of this colour: as its insipidity, and its other -physical qualities, are not at this moment objects -of your inquiry, I shall not dwell upon -them. In general, in examining lakes and -masses of water in high mountains, their colour -is of the same bright azure. And Captain Parry -states, that the water on the Polar ice has the -like beautiful tint. When vegetables grow in -lakes, the colour becomes nearer the sea green, -and as the quantity of impregnation from their -decay increases—greener, yellowish green, and -at length, when the vegetable extract is large -in quantity—as in countries where peat is found—yellow, -and even brown. To mention instances, -the Lake of Geneva, fed from sources -(particularly the higher Rhone) formed from -melting snow, is blue; and the Rhone pours -from it, dyed of the deepest azure, and retains -partially this colour till it is joined by the Soane, -which gives to it a greener hue. The Lake of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_301'>301</span>Morat, on the contrary, which is fed from -a lower country, and from less pure sources, -is grass green. And there is an illustrative instance -in some small lakes fed from the same -source, in the road from Inspruck to Stutgard, -which I observed in 1815 (as well as I recollect) -between Nazareit and Reiti. The highest lake -fed by melted snows in March, when I saw it, -was bright blue. It discharged itself by a small -stream into another, into which a number of -large pines had been blown by a winter storm, -or fallen from some other cause: in this lake -its colour was blue green. In a third lake, in -which there were not only pines and their -branches, but likewise other decaying vegetable -matter, it had a tint of faded grass green; -and these changes had occurred in a space -not much more than a mile in length. These -observations I made in 1815: on returning to -the same spot twelve years after, in August -and September, I found the character of the -lakes entirely changed. The pine wood washed -into the second lake had disappeared; a large -quantity of stones and gravel, washed down by -torrents, or detached by an avalanche, supplied -their place: there was no perceptible difference -of tint in the two upper lakes; but the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_302'>302</span>lower one, where there was still some vegetable -matter, seemed to possess a greener hue. The -same principle will apply to the Scotch and -Irish rivers, which, when they rise or issue -from pure rocky sources, are blue, or bluish -green; and when fed from peat bogs, or alluvial -countries, yellow, or amber-coloured, or brown—even -after they have deposited a part of their -impurities in great lakes. Sometimes, though -rarely, mineral impregnations give colour to -water: small streams are sometimes green or -yellow from ferruginous depositions. Calcareous -matters seldom affect their colour, but -often their transparency, when deposited, as -is the case with the Velino at Terni, and the -Anio at Trivoli; but I doubt if pure saline -matters, which are in themselves white, ever -change the tint of water.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Orn.</span>—On what then does the tint of the -ocean depend, which has itself given name to -a colour?</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—I think probably on vegetable matter, -and, perhaps, partially, on two elementary -principles, iodine and brome, which it certainly -contains, though these are possibly the -results of decayed marine vegetables. These -give a yellow tint, when dissolved in minute -<span class='pageno' id='Page_303'>303</span>portions in water, and this, mixed with the -blue of pure water, would occasion sea green. -I made, many years ago, being on the <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Mer de -Glace</span></i>, an experiment on this subject. I threw -a small quantity of iodine, a substance then -recently discovered, into one of those deep -blue basins of water, which are so frequent on -that glacier, and, diffusing it as it dissolved -with a stick, I saw the water change first to -sea green in colour, then to grass green, and -lastly to yellowish green: I do not, however, -give this as a proof, but only as a fact favourable -to my conjecture.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—It appears to me to confirm your -view of the subject, that snow and ice, which -are merely pure crystallized water, are always -blue, when seen by transmitted light. I have -often admired the deep azure in crevices in -masses of snow in severe winters, and the -same colour in the glaciers of Switzerland, -particularly at the arch where the Arve issues, -in the Valley of Chamouni. We thank you -for your illustration.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—In return, I ask you for some further -remarks on this grand waterfall. You said -just now, you preferred the fall of the Velino -for <a id='pict'></a>picturesque effect to any other waterfall -<span class='pageno' id='Page_304'>304</span>you have seen; yet it is a small river compared -even with the Traun, and nothing compared -with the Gotha, the Rhine, or, above -all, the Glommen.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—Size is merely comparative: I -prefer the fall of the Velino, because its parts -are in harmony. It displays all the force and -power of the element, in its rapid and precipitous -descent, and you feel, that even man -would be nothing in its waves, and would be -dashed to pieces by its force. The whole -scene is embraced at once by the eye, and the -effect is almost as sublime as that of the Glommen, -where the river is at least one hundred -times as large; for the Glommen falls, as it -were, from a whole valley upon a mountain of -granite, and unless where you see the giant -pines of Norway, fifty or sixty feet in height, -carried down by it and swimming in its whirlpools -like straws, you have no idea of its magnitude -and power: yet still, I think, considering -it in all its relations, this is the most awful -fall of water I have seen, as that of Velino is -the most perfect and beautiful. I am not sure, -that I ought not to place the fall of the Gotha -above that of the Rhine, both for variety of -effect and beauty; and the river, in my opinion, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_305'>305</span>is quite as large, and the colour of the water -quite as beautiful.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—But our horses are ready, and the -time of separation arrives. I trust we shall -all have a happy meeting in England in the -winter. I have made you idlers at home and -abroad, but I hope to some purpose; and, I -trust, you will confess the time bestowed upon -angling has not been thrown away. The most -important principle perhaps in life is to have a -pursuit—a useful one if possible, and at all -events an innocent one. And the scenes you -have enjoyed—the contemplations to which -they have led, and the exercise in which we -have indulged, have, I am sure, been very salutary -to the body, and, I hope, to the mind. -I have always found a peculiar effect from this -kind of life; it has appeared to bring me back -to early times and feelings, and to create -again the hopes and happiness of youthful -days.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Phys.</span>—I felt something like what you described, -and were I convinced that in the cultivation -of the amusement, these feelings would -increase, I would devote myself to it with passion; -but, I fear, in my case this is impossible. -Ah! could I recover any thing like that freshness -<span class='pageno' id='Page_306'>306</span>of mind, which I possessed at twenty-five, -and which, like the dew of the dawning morning, -covered all objects and nourished all -things that grew, and in which they were -more beautiful even than in mid-day sunshine,—what -would I not give!—All that I have -gained in an active and not unprofitable life. -How well I remember that delightful season, -when, full of power, I sought for power in -others; and power was sympathy, and sympathy -power;—when the dead and the unknown, -the great of other ages and of distant -places, were made, by the force of the imagination, -my companions and friends;—when -every voice seemed one of praise and love; -when every flower had the bloom and odour -of the rose; and every spray or plant seemed -either the poet’s laurel, or the civic oak—which -appeared to offer themselves as wreaths -to adorn my throbbing brow. But, alas! this -cannot be; and even you cannot have <em>two -springs</em> in life—though I have no doubt you -have fishing days, in which the feelings of youth -return, and that your autumn has a more <em>vernal</em> -character than mine.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Poiet.</span>—I do not think Halieus had ever -any season, except a perpetual and gentle -<span class='pageno' id='Page_307'>307</span>spring; for the tones of his mind have been -always so quiet, it has been so little scorched -by sunshine, and so little shaken by winds, -that, I think, it may be compared to that sempivernal -climate fabled of the Hesperides, -where the same trees produced at once buds, -leaves, blossoms, and fruits.</p> - -<p class='c006'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span>—Nay, my friends! spare me a little, -spare my gray hairs. I have not perhaps -abused my youth so much as some of my -friends, but all things that you have known, I -have known; and if I have not been so much -scorched by the passions from which so many -of my acquaintances have suffered, I owe it -rather to the constant employment of a laborious -profession, and to the exertions called -for by the hopes, wants, and wishes of a rising -family, than to any merits of my own, either -moral or <a id='con'></a>constitutional. For my health, I -may thank my ancestors, after my God, and I -have not squandered what was so bountifully -given; and though I do not expect, like our -arch-patriarch, Walton, to number ninety years -and upwards, yet, I hope, as long as I can -enjoy in a vernal day the warmth and light of -the sunbeams, still to haunt the streams—following -the example of our late venerable -<span class='pageno' id='Page_308'>308</span>friend, the President of the Royal academy,<a id='r9' /><a href='#f9' class='c012'><sup>[9]</sup></a> -in company with whom, when he was an octogenarian, -I have thrown the fly, caught trout, -and enjoyed a delightful day of angling and -social amusement, in the shady green meadows -by the bright clear streams of the Wandle.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_309'>309</span> - <h2 class='c004'>ADDITIONAL NOTES.</h2> -</div> - -<h3 class='c010'>(<i>On the par, page <a href='#Page_75'>75</a>.</i>)</h3> - -<p class='c016'>The author, in supposing that the par may be produced from -a cross between the river trout and the sea trout, does not mean -to attach any importance to this idea. The fish differs so little -from the common trout, that it may be questioned, whether it -is not more entitled to the character of a variety than of a species. -In many rivers on the continent, the author has seen -small trout with olive or brown marks, like those of the British -par; and a friend informs him, that he has caught fish of the -same kind in the streams connected with the Lake of Geneva. -In rivers, flowing into the Danube, these small fish are very -common; but, as well as he remembers, their marks are pale, -or yellowish-brown, or olive, and not dark or blue like those of -our par. The salmon does not belong to any of these localities, -but the hucho haunts the tributary streams of the Danube. The -smelts, or young of the salmo hucho, and sea trout, and lake -trout, are all distinguished by the <em>uniform</em> dark colour of the -back, and the silvery whiteness of the belly. He does not remember -to have seen any of the streaked, or par varieties of -trout in rivers, in which there was only <em>one</em> species, or variety -of large salmo. The mottled colour of the skin is, he thinks, the -strongest argument in favour of this little fish, being from a cross -of two varieties, or races, which may be the case, and yet the -fish be capable of breeding, and gaining this character of a peculiar -variety; and he supposes different kinds of pars may be -produced by crosses of the sea trout, the hucho, the lake trout, -with the river trouts, or perhaps of the salmon, and this would -account for their great numbers, and the various tints of the -marks on their <em>sides</em>. If the hucho, as he believes, generally -spawns late in the winter, it may sometimes meet with trout -spawning at the same time. He has seen salmon and trout in -the Tweed in a similar state of maturity at the same period; -and, in 1816, he remembers, that he took large female salmon, -that had the period of parturition protracted as late as March.</p> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_310'>310</span> -<h3 class='c010'>(<i>On the scolaphax, page <a href='#Page_124'>124</a>.</i>)</h3> -</div> - -<p class='c016'>I shall say a few words on the congeners of this bird (the -solitary snipe,) and on the three varieties so much better -known in Europe. The woodcock feeds indiscriminately upon -earthworms, small beetles, and various kinds of larvæ, and its -stomach sometimes contains seeds, which I suspect have been -taken up in boring amongst the excrements of cattle; yet the -stomach of this bird has something of the gizzard character, -though not so much as that of the land-rail, which I -have found half filled with seeds of grasses, and even containing -corn, mixed with may-bugs, earth-worms, grasshoppers, and -caterpillars. The woodcock, I believe, breeds habitually only -in high northern latitudes, yet there are woods in England, particularly -one in Sussex, near the borders of Hampshire, in -which one or two couple of these birds, it is said, may always -be found in summer. I suspect these <a id='wood'></a>woodcocks are from the -offspring of birds which had paired for their passage, but being -detained by an accident happening to one of them, staid and -raised a young brood in England, and the young ones probably -had their instincts altered by the accidents of their being born -in England, and being in a place well supplied with food. It is -not improbable, that they likewise raised young ones, and that the -habit of staying has become hereditary. There can be no doubt, -that woodcocks are very constant to their local attachments; -woodcocks, that have been preserved in a particular wood for a -winter, always return to it, if possible, the next season. Many -woodcocks breed in Norway and Sweden in the great, extensive, -and moist pine woods, filled with bogs and morasses, which cover -these wild countries, but probably a still greater number breed -further north, in Lapland, Finland, Russia, and Siberia. It is I -believe a fable, that they ever raise their young habitually in -the high Alpine or mountainous countries of the central or -southern parts of Europe. These countries indeed in summer -are very little fitted for their feeding; they cannot bore -where it is either dry or frosty, and the glacier, as well as the -arid sand or rock, are equally unfitted for their haunts. They -leave the north with the first frost, and travel slowly south till -they come to their accustomed winter quarters; they do not -usually make a quick voyage, but fly from wood to wood, reposing -and feeding on their journey: they prefer for their -haunts, woods near marshes or morasses; they hide themselves -under thick bushes in the day, and fly abroad to feed in -the dusk of the evening. A laurel, or a holly-bush, is a favourite -place for their repose: the thick and varnished leaves of -these trees prevents the radiation of heat from the soil, and -they are less affected by the refrigerating influence of a clear -sky, so that they afford a warm seat for the woodcock. Woodcocks -<span class='pageno' id='Page_311'>311</span>usually begin to fly north on the first approach of spring, -and their flights are generally longer, and their rests fewer, at -this season than in the autumn.</p> - -<p class='c006'>In the autumn they are driven from the north to the south by -the want of food, and they stop wherever they can find food. -In the spring, there is the influence of another powerful instinct -added to this, the sexual feeling. They migrate in pairs, and -pass as speedily as possible to the place where they are likely -to find food, and to raise their young, and of which the old birds -have already had the experience of former years. Scarcely -any woodcocks winter in any part of Germany. In France -there are a few found, particularly in the southern provinces, -and in Normandy and Brittany. The woods of England, -especially of the west and south, contain always a certain -quantity of woodcocks, but there are far more in the moist soil -and warmer climate of Ireland; but in the woods of southern -Italy and Greece, near marshes, they are far more abundant; -and they extend in quantities over the Greek Islands, Asia -Minor, and northern Africa.</p> - -<p class='c006'>The snipe is one of the most generally distributed birds -belonging to Europe. It feeds upon almost every kind of -worm, or larvæ, and, as I have said before, its stomach sometimes -contains seeds and rice; it prefers a country cold -in the summer to breed in; but wherever there is much fluid -water, and great morasses, this bird is almost certain to be -found. Its nest is very inartificial, its eggs large, and the -young ones soon become of an enormous size, being, often before -they can fly, larger than their parents. Two young ones -are usually the number in a nest, but I have seen three. -The old birds are exceedingly attached to their offspring, and -if any one approach near the nest they make a loud and -drumming noise above the head, as if to divert the attention -of the intruder. A few snipes always breed in the marshes of -England and Scotland, but a far greater number retire for -this purpose to the Hebrides and the Orkneys. In the heather -surrounding a small lake in the Island of Hoy, in the Orkneys, -I found in the month of August, in 1817, the nests of ten or -twelve couple of snipes. I was grouse-shooting, and my dog -continually pointed them, and, as there were sometimes three -young ones and two old ones in the nest, the scent was very -powerful. From accident of the season these snipes were very -late in being hatched, for they usually fly before the middle of -July; but this year, even as late as the 15th of August, there -were many young snipes that had not yet their wing feathers. -Snipes are usually fattest in frosty weather, which, I believe, -is owing to this, that in such weather they haunt only warm -springs, where worms are abundant, and they do not willingly -quit these places, so that they have plenty of nourishment and -rest, both circumstances favourable to fat. In wet, open weather -they are often obliged to make long flights, and their food is -<span class='pageno' id='Page_312'>312</span>more distributed. The jack-snipe feeds upon smaller insects -than the snipe: small white larvæ, such as are found in black -bogs, are its favourite food, but I have generally found seeds -in its stomach, once hemp-seeds, and always gravel. I know -not where the jack-snipe breeds, but I suspect far north. I -never saw their nest or young ones in Germany, France, Hungary, -Illyria, or the British Islands. The common snipe breeds -in great quantities in the extensive marshes of Hungary and -Illyria; but I do not think the jack-snipe breeds there, for, even -in July and August, with the first very dry weather, many -snipes, with ducks and teal, come into the marshes in the south -of Illyria, but the jack-snipe is always later in its passage, -later even than the double-snipe, or the woodcock. In 1828, -in the drains about Laybach, in Illyria, common snipes were -seen in the middle of July. The first double snipes appeared -the first week in September, when likewise woodcocks were -seen; the first jack-snipe did not appear till three weeks later -than the 29th of September. I was informed at Copenhagen, -that the jack-snipe certainly breeds in Zealand, and I saw a -nest with its eggs, said to be from the island of Sandholm, -opposite Copenhagen, and I have no doubt that this bird and -the double-snipe sometimes make their nests in the marshes -of Holstein and Hanover. An excellent sportsman and good -observer informs me, that, in the great royal decoy, or marsh-preserve, -near Hanover, he has had ocular proofs of double-snipes -being raised from the nest there; but these birds require -solitude and perfect quiet, and, as their food is peculiar, -they demand a great extent of marshy meadow. Their stomach -is the thinnest amongst birds of the scolopax tribe, and, as -I have said before, their food seems to be entirely the larvæ of -the tibulæ, or <em>congenerous</em> flies.</p> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c001' /> -</div> - -<div class='footnote' id='f1'> -<p class='c006'><a href='#r1'>1</a>. From Don Juan, Canto XII. Stanza CVI.</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“And Angling, too, that solitary vice,</div> - <div class='line in2'>Whatever Isaac Walton sings or says:</div> - <div class='line'>The quaint old cruel coxcomb in his gullet</div> - <div class='line'>Should have a hook and a small trout to pull it.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> - -<div class='footnote' id='f2'> -<p class='c006'><a href='#r2'>2</a>. The Friend, page 303, by S. T. Coleridge.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote' id='f3'> -<p class='c006'><a href='#r3'>3</a>. I have known a person who fished with him at Merton, in -the Wandle. I hope this circumstance will be mentioned in -the next edition of that most exquisite and touching Life of our -Hero, by the Laureate, an immortal monument raised by Genius -to Valour.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote' id='f4'> -<p class='c006'><a href='#r4'>4</a>. I have known the number of spines in the pectoral fins different, -in different varieties of trout; I have seen them 12, 13, -and 14: but the anal fin always, I believe, contains 11 spines, -the dorsal 12 or 13, the ventral 9, and the caudal 21. The -smallest brook trout, when well and copiously fed, will increase -in stews to four or five pounds in weight, but never attains the -size or characters of lake trout.</p> - -<p class='c006'>Mr. Tonkin of Polgaron put some small river trout, 2½ inches -in length, into a newly-made pond. He took some of these out -the second year, and they were above 12 inches in length; the -third year, he took one out that was 16 inches; and the fourth -year, one of 25 inches: this was in 1734. (<cite>Carew’s Survey of -Cornwall</cite>, p. 87. Lord de Dunstanville’s edition.)</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote' id='f5'> -<p class='c006'><a href='#r5'>5</a>. From the food, and the remains of food, found in the stomach -of the double snipe, I think I have ascertained, that it requires -a kind of worm, which is not found in winter even in -the temperate climes of Europe; and that it feeds differently -from the snipe. There are certainly none found after the -end of October in either Illyria or Italy; and I believe the -same may be said of the end of May, as to their summer migration, -or their breeding migration. I have opened the stomachs -of at least a dozen of these birds, and their contents were -always of the same kind, long slender white hexapode larvæ, or -their skins, of different sizes, from that of the maggot of the -horse-fly to one thrice as long. I believe all these insects were -the larvæ of tibulæ of different species. In the stomach of the -common snipe, which is stronger and larger, I have generally -found earth-worms, and often seeds, and rice, and gravel. I -conjecture, that, in the temperate climates of Europe, most -of the aquatic larvæ on which the solitary snipe feeds are converted -into flies in the late spring and autumn, which probably -limits the period of their migration. In 1827 the solitary snipe -passed through Italy and Illyria between the 15th of March and -the 6th of May. I heard of the first at Ravenna the 17th of -March, and I shot two near Laybach on the 5th of May; but -though I was continually searching for them for a fortnight after, -I found no more. This year they returned from the north -early; and I saw some in the marshes of Illyria on the 19th of -August. In 1828 they were later in their vernal passage, and -likewise in their return. I found them in Illyria through May, -as late as the 17th, on which day I shot three, and they did not -re-appear till the beginning of September. I found one on the -3d, and three on the 4th, and twenty were shot on the 7th.</p> - -<p class='c006'>As this bird is rarely seen in England, I shall mention its peculiarities. -It is more than one-third larger than the common -snipe, and has a breast spotted with gray feathers. Its beak is -shorter than that of the snipe; the old ones have feathers almost -pure white in their tails, and as they spread them when -rising, they are easily distinguished by this character from the -snipe; but in the young birds that I have seen in August, this -character was wanting. They are usually very fat, particularly -the young birds; their weight varies from six to nine ounces; -but even the fattest ones are rarely above seven ounces and a -half; and though I have killed more than a hundred, I can speak -of half-a-dozen only that weighed above eight ounces and a -half. In spring they are usually found in pairs, the female being -rather larger, and having a paler breast: in autumn they -are solitary. They prefer wet meadows to bogs, or large, deep -marshes. They usually lie closer than snipes, and seldom fly -far. Their flight is straight, like that of a jack snipe, and they -are easily shot.</p> - -<p class='c006'>Attention to the migrations of birds might, I have no doubt, -lead to important indications respecting the character and changes -of the weather and the seasons. The late migration of the -solitary snipe this year (1828) seems to have been an indication -of a wet and backward summer in the north of Europe. -But to form opinions upon facts of this kind requires much -knowledge and caution. The perfection of the larvæ of the tibulæ -on which this snipe feeds depends upon a number of circumstances: -the temperature of the last year; the period when the -eggs were laid; the heat of the water when they were deposited, -and the quantity of rain since. The migration of the solitary -snipe is only one link in a great chain of causes and effects, -all connected, and extending from Africa to Siberia.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote' id='f6'> -<p class='c006'><a href='#r6'>6</a>. <i><span lang="de" xml:lang="de">Lax</span></i> is the Teutonic word for salmon.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote' id='f7'> -<p class='c006'><a href='#r7'>7</a>. I may mention one remarkable instance as an exception, -which has recently occurred to me, the 21st of May, 1828. -I was fishing in the Save, between Wochain and Veldes, in -some deep, clear, bright, green pools. I caught five or six -grayling between 15 and 17 inches long, that had all leeches -near the tail; they were beautifully coloured, and had probably -got these parasitic animals after their spawning, when -they reposed. Of course this was the time when they were -in their worst season, as they were just beginning to recover -from the work of generation. At this time they often rose at -and refused the fly, but there were as yet no large flies on the -water. The leech was a small greenish dark worm, about an -inch or an inch and a half long, like a common leech in form -and colour.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote' id='f8'> -<p class='c006'><a href='#r8'>8</a>. Sälmling of the Germans.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote' id='f9'> -<p class='c006'><a href='#r9'>9</a>. Benjamin West.</p> -</div> - -<div class='tnotes'> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div>Transcriber’s Notes</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c005'>Some presumed printer’s errors have been corrected, including normalizing -punctuation and capitalization. Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation has been left as printed unless -specifically noted below. -In the original book, some fractions were printed -in the form 1 1-2 and others in the form 1½. These have all been normalized to -the form 1½. An incorrect page number in the Table of Contents has been changed. -Further corrections are listed below.</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#by'>x</a> hy -> by</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#the'>33</a> he May-fly -> the May-fly</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#is'>35</a> this river it -> this river is</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#gnat'>43</a> knats -> gnats</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#aut'>62</a> autumual -> autumnal</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#aut2'>63</a> antumn -> autumn</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#temp'>63</a> tepemrature -> temperature</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#wand'>65</a> Wandel -> Wandle</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#were'>80</a> as it mere -> as it were</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#little'>135</a> lttle -> little</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#that'>137</a> thar -> that</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#kil'>147</a> Kilmornack -> Kilmarnock</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#you'>150</a> youself -> yourself</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#phys'>161</a> Phyicus -> Physicus</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#ori'>162</a> orign -> origin</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#produce'>168</a> eggs cannot produced -> eggs cannot produce</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#think'>173</a> I thing -> I think</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#port'>185</a> porends -> portends</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#gull'>187</a> sea-guls -> sea-gulls</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#comfort'>192</a> comfort’s -> comforts</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#seem'>193</a> seemes -> seems</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#gray'>196</a> graying -> grayling</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#nord'>197</a> Noric -> Nordic</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#abs'>218</a> abtruse -> abstruse</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#fall'>226</a> the all of water -> the fall of water</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#acqu'>231</a> accquainted -> acquainted</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#where'>231</a> were the eggs are hatched -> where the eggs are hatched</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#of'>232</a> purpose of of -> purpose of</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#prey'>253</a> pursue their pray -> pursue their prey</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#klein'>253</a> Kliengraben -> Kleingraben</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#carn'>258</a> carniverous -> carnivorous</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#danube'>260</a> Daunbe -> Danube</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#apply'>262</a> pply -> apply</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#imagined'>267</a> immagined -> imagined</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#fly'>272</a> flyfishing -> fly-fishing</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#coarse'>279</a> coarest -> coarsest</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#ver'>286</a> vermillion -> vermilion</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#moose'>293</a> morse -> moose</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#pict'>303</a> picturesqe -> picturesque</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#con'>307</a> consitutional -> constitutional</div> - <div class='line'>p. <a href='#wood'>310</a> wood cocks -> woodcocks</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Salmonia, by Humphrey Davy - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SALMONIA *** - -***** This file should be named 50944-h.htm or 50944-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/0/9/4/50944/ - -Produced by Sonya Schermann and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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