BEETLES. 8 1 



The other example of the effect of observa- 

 tion, was on this wise. — In a small stream in 

 Picardy, there was, one summer, a fine fellow, 

 which proved to be full four pounds' weight. 

 He had defied all the fishermen of the neigh- 

 bourhood — myself among the number. He 

 was in the almost daily habit of sailing to and 

 fro, close to the bank ; his promenade extend- 

 ing perhaps a dozen yards. He had been 

 hooked two or three times ; and was conse- 

 quently as wary as the miser, when his son 

 begins to beat about the bush, introductory to 

 some pecuniary hint. On one occasion, I no- 

 ticed a small insect drop from the grass (which 

 was long, at the time) on to the water, just as 

 he was passing. It was seized without hesitation ; 

 and I forthwith prepared for the slaughter. 

 To the top joint of my rod I attached about a 

 foot of rather stout gut, with a small brown fly 

 (the Frog-hopper) at the end. After he had 

 passed out of sight, I placed this fly almost on 

 the point of a blade of grass, which slightly 

 projected over the water. With the top joint 

 of my rod in the right hand, and the gaff" in my 



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