56 THE SPORTING FISH 



tioning the keeper he assured me that when the 

 water in the pond was let off there were literally 

 cart-loads of these insects. My informant as to 

 the facts and dates was Lord Eldon, who also exa- 

 mined the keeper in my presence as to the circum- 

 stances, and whose account was again confirmed in 

 every respect by the corroborative testimony of 

 Mr. Dickson, one of Lord Eldon's stewards, who 

 was present and saw the fish weighed when caught. 



" The only outlet to the pond was a small drain 

 at one end, up which nothing could practically pass, 

 even if there were any Trout streams at hand with 

 which it could be supposed to communicate. 



"It may be mentioned that the weight of the 

 Trout at the end of the first year was from a quar- 

 ter of a pound to half a pound." 



From this account and the experiments on the 

 different modes of fattening Trout above referred 

 to, it is evident that fish and grubs bear no com- 

 parison with insect-food in point of nourishment, 

 doubtless in consequence of the amount of phos- 

 phate of lime contained in the latter. Of the 

 insects specially contributing to the food of fish, 

 probably the most nutritious of all are the May- 

 flies, upon which, when arrived at maturity, the 

 adult Trout wreak a signal vengeance for the de- 

 struction effected by the larvae of the one amongst 

 the eggs of the other. 



Principal Characteristics of the Common Trout (Sal mo fario). 

 (Taken from a Hampshire fish, 12 inches in length.) Length 



