by the bright greensward on which he lies. What is his weight?

S. About two pounds; but he is unusually well fed, and no doubt has kept that shallow against all comers for some time past-lying in wait during the day for any fly that may sail over him, and at night supping on the shoals of minnows which abound in some parts of this stream. I am acquainted with a small stream which, towards autumn, is much contracted by the growth of weeds, causing the formation of pools, in each of which a large trout lies in wait for everything that comes down. I have seldom thrown into one of these pools without hooking its tenant, and his place is invariably taken by the fish next in size. For this kind of fishing, however, you require a stiff fly-rod, a short line, and one fly only, unless you care not for being "hitched" at every throw. You must strike instantly, and not suffer

the fish to have an inch of line, or he is

gone.

J. I have heard, that in the smaller streams in Scotland, the biggest fish take up their stations in the pools, devour their own progeny one by one, and then, like famished wolves, snatch at almost anything that may be offered them, to their inevitable destruction.

S. A large trout is little inferior to the pike in voracity; but he is not so indiscriminate, nor so rash: the pike dashes at anything, animate or inanimate, that comes near him. I have heard of more than one instance of his seizing the plummet of the angler while trying the depth of the stream; and a friend of mine, while bottom-fishing some years since, caught a perch that, while landing, was seized by a pike, which however managed to get free again.

J. I have known instances of their seizing a hooked fish. This disposition of

the pike to prey upon the hooked or helpless fish, is favourable to the troller.

S. No doubt it is, if a fish is in any way crippled, or spawning: it must then be an easy prey to its ferocious enemies. A very ludicrous instance of the voracity of the pike was related to me a short time since. A gentleman, in Northamptonshire, was seated quietly in a summer-house by the margin of a large pond, watching the water-fowl feeding upon it. Suddenly the geese and ducks rose from the water and took flight with loud cries, one old goose making more noise than the rest. A large pike had seized her foot, and in her flight she had dragged the old tyrant clean out of the water and shaken herself free from

his grasp.

Simon. I do b'lieve nothing comes amiss to um. Last zummer, zome o' the bwoys was a rat huntin' up by the bridge, and the dogs started a girt rat, and off a went