FISHES AND FISHING. 23 1 



by the side of the road leading from Ley ton to As 

 sembly Row. In the island pond there were, and 

 probably are, a great quantity of mussels of an im 

 mense size ; and in a pond near, the neighbours say, 

 was found an oyster alive ! The surplus of water 

 from the great pond runs into a convenient receptacle, 

 on the right side of the road to Leyton, which supplies 

 the neighbourhood with water ; thence the super 

 abundance passes across the road, under an arch, to 

 an immense water-cress bed, and thence into a branch 

 of the River Lea. It is probable there are fine eels 

 in these ponds. 



Curious circumstances occur to anglers, or are seen 

 by them. Dr. Gillespie relates, that he saw a swallow 

 from above, and a trout from below, both pounce 

 upon the same June fly ; down came the swallow, 

 and up came the open mouth of the trout, into which 

 in pursuit of his prey, the swallow pitched his head : 

 the struggle was not long, but severe ; the swallow 

 was once or twice nearly immersed in the water, 

 wings and all, before he disentangled himself from 

 the sharp teeth of the trout. Both bird and fish must 

 have been much frightened at the encounter. 

 (Scrope's " Tweed.") 



A gentleman, fishing with live May-flies in the 

 Wye, and having one on his hook, went into an inn 

 on the roadside, leaving his rod on the outside; a 



