WATER-WITCHES. 37 



moured of these things, they are but ugly beasts. 

 I suppose, however, that, in matters of beauty, 

 we must let " each eye negotiate for itself." 



A very small artificial Eel, from two to three 

 inches long, ranks as high, in the writer's esti- 

 mation, as the Water-witch (fig. 1.). 



It may be made of either lead or brass. I 

 prefer the latter, when of sufficient thickness 

 to be tolerably weighty ; because the whole 

 affair being solid, — no tail to fix on, and the 

 spinning part firmly rivetted, it is far more 

 durable. Let this be twisted, as I have de- 

 scribed for the leech, and painted dark on the 

 back, and a bluish-grey on the under side. 



After all I have said on the subject, I wish 

 only to insist principally on two points : what- 

 ever kind of Minnow you use, let the spinning 

 apparatus be at the head; and so arrange the 

 hooks that they stand well off from the body. 



If you do not adopt these plans, and are 

 desirous to catch your own fish for dinner, you 

 may often be driven to some such expedient, to 

 please your fish-loving palate, as the King of 

 Bithynia's cook was, in the service of his master. 



c 3 



