APRIL. 113 



polecats, which often lurk about farm-yards for the 

 purpose of seizing eggs and young poultry. A 

 white terrier of mine, on one occasion, drew from 

 its burrow, which it had made under some wood in 

 a stable, a large polecat, and fifteen young ducklings 

 which it had carried off from the adjoining farm- 

 yard within the course of a day or two, to the great 

 marvel of the farmer's wife, who missed the duck- 

 lings one after another, but could not perceive how 

 they went Such are the cares of hatching-time. 



ANGLING. 



Grayling, perch, dace, are not in best season, nor 

 chub, till the middle of the month : nor barbel during 

 the latter half of it. Salmon is improving ; and trout 

 comes in, and may be sought in his beautiful clear 

 streams with a minnow, or palmer-worm, or with 

 the fly. The chub takes the worm, and the pike 

 the lobworm, minnow, or other small fish. The 

 tench is a lively prey this month, bating with a good 

 worm. Cotton says the grayling is never out of 

 season, and reckons him yet a winter fish. Walton 

 declares him to be " a pleasant fish and a jolly in 

 mid April and May, and in the hot months." Flies : 

 all those of March ; also small bright brown ; 

 dark brown ; from the 6th to the 10th, the violet 

 fly; about the 12th, the little wheeling dun, yellow 

 dun, little brown ; about the 20th, the horse-fly to 

 the end of the month. 



10* 



