ON THE LYON. 207 



(when asked what he had caught) may suggest 

 no unworthy moral "Nothing but twigs!" 



A popular periodical has lately been giving 

 instructions on fish-culture, which to a Highland 

 salmon angler are more amusing than instructive. 

 Our first lesson is to follow the example of a 

 careful gamekeeper, and trap all the vermin. 

 These are pike, perch, eels, and the common river- 

 trout. The vermin trap is a small-meshed net, 

 to be used "in season or out of season while there 

 is a head of vermin to be caught." 



Now, it happens that almost all our best 

 northern salmon streams, far from breeding pike, 

 perch, and eels, are very indifferent for trouting. 

 Their channels, being sharp and gravelly, are 

 not adapted for these (vermin ?) fish. It is only 

 in the Don, the Tweed, and some of the more 

 sluggish rivers flowing through pastoral districts, 

 that even good yellow trout thrive. Only export 

 perch, pike, and eels into the rapid and rocky 

 northern waters, and a precious life they would 

 lead! 



But our periodical is also very urgent on the 



