CONCLUSION. 599 



CONCLUSION. 



One who has had the patience to read the foregoing pages 

 consecutively through, has no doubt observed, that in several 

 instances I have repeated in a special way, much in word or 

 substance that I had said in a preceding chapter, or in "a 

 general way. As an example, I have had occasion to refer 

 to the manner of propagation with fishes in no less than four 

 distinct articles ; either of which would have been incomplete, 

 or lacking the interest it was entitled to, had I omitted to do 

 so. Again, there are certain sporting or rather angling terms 

 which I have unavoidably reiterated. — I hope the reader will 

 not regard such repetitions as blunders, for I am deeply 

 conscious that in this my first and likely my last attempt at 

 writing for publication, there are enough real sins of omis- 

 sion and commission in my compositions to answer for ; even 

 after adopting the hints and suggestions of the friend with 

 whom I have read the proof-sheets. 



Readers are not generally aware of the obligations we 

 authors are under to honest, careful proof-readers, and how 

 much bad grammar, bad spelling, and imperfect composition 

 would be inflicted on them, were our productions sent forth 

 without being cauterized and plastered by them. I am 

 indebted to the firm who stereotyped these pages, not only 

 for their aid in this respect, but for the tasteful and judicious 

 arrangement of the book. The junior member of the firm 

 (being one of our craft) has taken an especial interest in the 

 respectability of its appearance. In fact his solicitude on 

 this score has even been exhibited at times in an unamiable 

 manner. For instance, in reading some of the earlier proof- 

 sheets, he would abruptly ask me, how many times in a single 



