BAITS. mi 



" lie may l)C krpt lor ji loii;; tiiiii' in ponds or cars; and trd, 

 and cvrn tattrd tlit'rr. Wluii tlir cold of wintor bcnnmhs 

 liiin, he rt'fnscs to t-nt any nioro, and a nicnihranc is observed 

 to lonn over the vent, ami close it. lie l)e«;ins to rejjain 

 appetite with the rctnru of warmth in tlic sprin;;. The hlossom- 

 in": of the dofjwood {cornus fhn'lda), early in April, is nmlerstood 

 to denote the time of baiting; JJlack I'i>h. As soon as these 

 flowers unfold, the tisliermen proceed with their hooks and 

 lines to the favourite places. If there is no dofjwood, a judgement 

 is derived from the vejjetation of the chestnut tree {rastouea 

 resca). The season of baitinj; is reckoned very favourable nntil 

 the incrcasiu;: warmth of the season brin;^s food enough to fill 

 their stomachs, and they thereupon aflbrd less pastime to the 

 sportsman, and less profit to the professor. The people express 

 this sentiment in these coarse rhymes: — 



■■ ' Whoii choittnut leaver ore t» lii^ on thuinli nail 

 Thrn Kite Rlark Fmh witli<>\it fail ; 

 Hut wlioii chi-nUiut It-avos niv as long as a ?>|mii, 

 TluMi ratoli HIark Fiali if vmi can." 



"The common l)ait for Hlaek I'ish is the soli clam [tni/a). 

 The soldier-cral), or fiddler [ocypodu), will frecjuently ten>pt 

 him when he refuses to taste the other. And he snaps very 

 readily at tin* lar^e finny worm of the salt-wafer beaches 

 (nereia), when used on a hook for hiui. 



" Some persons, who live contifjjuous to the shores where are 

 situated the nxjks frcciucnted by Tautoj;, invite the fish there 

 by baitiufj. Hy this is meant the throwing overboard broken 

 clams or crabs, to induce the Black Tisli to r«Muw tlu'ir visits, 

 and fine sport is prm'ured. 



Y. y. 'Z 



