Reign of Terror in the Lake. 325 



But they seem as a rule^to move most at night, and 

 to approach the shore closest in the darkness. In the 

 deep water they are safe ; but near the edge the 

 crows pounce on them and may be seen peering about 

 almost all da}^ long. 



Besides those that are eaten on the shore, numbers 

 of mussels are carried up on the rising ground where 

 the turf is short and the earth hard. Until stepped 

 on and broken, the two halves of the shell are usually 

 complete, and generally still attached, showing that 

 the crow has split the shell open skilfully. They 

 range from two or three to nine inches in length.- 

 The largest are much less common ; those of five or 

 six inches are numerous. Some of the old-fashioned 

 housewives use a nine-inch mussel-shell, well cleaned, 

 as a ladle for their sugar jars. 



Now and then, at long intervals, an exceptionally 

 dry season so lowers the level of the mere that all 

 the shallower parts become land, and are even pass- 

 able on foot, though in places quicksands and deep 

 fine mud must be carefully avoided. The fish that 

 previously could enjoy a swim of some three-quarters 

 of a mile are then forced to retire to one deep hole 

 only a few acres in extent. Now commences a reign 

 of terror, of which it is difficult to convey an ade- 

 quate idea. 



These waters have not been netted for years, and 

 consequently both pike and perch have increased to 

 an extraordinary degree, and many of them have at- 

 tained huge proportions. Pike of six pounds are 

 commonly caught ; eight, ten, twelve, and fourteen 

 pound fish have often been landed. There was a tra- 

 dition of a pike that weighed a quarter of a hundred- 



