260 SALMONIA. 



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 organised struc- 

 tures; 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 him- 

 self. 



Hal. — There are instances quite as ex- 

 traordinary — 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 esta- 

 blish 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. 



