TIIKORY <>F CDI.ol'K. 109 



taken, pinltahly, from some very l)ri;;lit and Minny wat»r. In 

 this view I am fully snstninod by I'rofessor Ajjassiz, who has 

 made sonic very rurious experiments with rej^ard to the colours 

 of fishes, of the Salmunidte esj)eeially ; and who has ascertained, 

 beyond a doubt, not only that tlie Trout of dilVcrent nei;;h- 

 IxMirini; waters arc atVecfed by the enluiu' and ([iiality (if the 

 watiT, but that the Trout of f/ir siiint' rirrr \ary in colour 

 nccordinjily as they haunt the shady or the sunny side of tln^ 

 stream. Tor it is a wi-ii-known tact, that the S(ilm(i)iiil<p, 

 nlthou}rh many of them arc mignitory at certain seasons, liavc 

 their own haunts and hnntin;;-irrounds to which they steadily 

 adhere, movins? but a short distance from one spot, in pursuit 

 of tlu'ir prey, and returning; to it when satisfied. 



Thus, in a mountain-brook, you shall find, perhaps, that the 

 pool l)etwecn an upper and lower fall or rapid is occupied by 

 two fish ; one of these w ill lie at the head, the other at the tail, 

 of the pool, the more powerful fish selcetinf; the spot which he 

 chooses, ami neither exchan<;in<jj places, nor huutin;^ far from 

 his habitual haunts. 



In still waters, in like manner, you will find that, day after 

 (lav, the sanu' lar^c^ Trout will be seen undi-r this bank, by that 

 lar«'e stone, or in tlie cavity fornu'd l)y the roots of yon ash or 

 alder; and that he will n<jt stray to any distance from it, but 

 will seek his prey lu-arly iu the same waters, and on the same 

 side of the river, the opposite bank Ix-in*; probably held ])y a 

 rival fish. 



That this will at first be deemed far-fetclu'd and improbable, 

 I think likely enough ; but the more we consider it, the more 

 reasonable shall it np|>ear ; fur w hen we weigh the jp-cat influence 



