10 SALMONIA. 



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 sere- 

 naded by the songs of the cheerful thrush 

 and melodious nightingale, performing the 

 offices of paternal love, in thickets orna- 

 mented with the rose and woodbine. 



Phys. — All these enjoyments might be ob- 

 tained 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 un- 

 doubtedly be cruel to destroy any form of 

 animated life ; but if fish are to be eaten, I 



