THE NATURAL HISTORY OF GOOLE MOOR. 7 
species, though many rare and valuable captures have been 
made. ‘The marsh ringlet among butterflies, and the emperor 
moth are common. This year one person obtained sixteen 
caterpillars of the elephant hawk moth. Of offensive insects, 
the lively little musical midge, is the most annoying. 
Fish. In some of the ponds and drains eels and small pike 
may be seen. 
The salmon fishery has greatly declined, in all probability on 
account of the pollution of the Aire. If there has been a dry 
season, the first flood or fresh that occurs in the Aire turns the 
water of the Ouse black, and poisons the fish that are trying to 
get to the spawning grounds. Those that can get back to the 
Humber may perhaps recover, but the remainder are either 
picked up dead on the banks or captured by hand nets while 
struggling. Their gills are found to be actually clogged with 
filth. The refuse from the dye and chemical factories, I think, 
forms the most dangerous ingredient of the polluted waters. 
When the West Riding County Council, or a body of Conservators, 
can be forced to put the law in motion, there may perhaps be 
better times for anglers. Very few salmon have been taken near 
Goole lately. With regard to other fish, I have noticed that if a 
flood occurs in the Don district while the hay is lying in the fields, 
there is sure to be great destruction. 
Cetacez in all probability destroy large numbers of the 
salmonide, and it is interesting to watch a porpoise after a 
salmon, both very quick swimmers, one trying for his dinner, the 
other for his safety, making for the shallows, where his pursuer 
cannot follow. On’ one occasion, more than 30 years ago, 
when the Humber was crowded with bottle-nosed whales, a 
reconnoitering party of 25 came up to Goole. Eleven boats put 
off, and after a running fight and a large expenditure of 
ammunition, we (I was engaged in the skirmish) surrounded them 
and drove them ashore at the bottom of Goole Reach. The 
battle was an exciting one ; bullets were flying in many directions ; 
boat-hooks, hatchets and knives were freely used, and men waded 
up to their waists and armpits in water endeavouring to secure 
their captures. The result was we towed to Goole on the turn 
of the tide 23 bottle-noses out of the 25, and I know one of the 
others was wounded, as I saw the blood spout when I fired my 
last shot. We thought we had done well, as we obtained more 
oil that day than the Hull whalers did that season. (But we did 
not tell every stranger that Hull had such bad fortune that year 
that no more whaling vessels were sent out from there). A more 
important capture was made in 1885, when some lads saw a large 
cetacean trying to get into the little lock, probably for better 
