GRAYLING. 181 



Poiet. — I have basketed (to coin a word) 

 three trout and six graylings. 



Phys. — And I have taken seven gray- 

 lings. I caught trout likewise, but not con- 

 sidering them in proper season, I returned 

 them to the river: but Ornither has been 

 the most successful — he has killed ten gray- 

 lings. 



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 consider- 

 able 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 larvae and flies. 



Phys. — As we are walking through these 

 meadows, pray give us some information as 

 to the habits of the grayling, and his locali- 

 ties in England : I have been so much 



