NATURAL HISTORY 



The bit of special pleading which follows is so good 

 that I am tempted to quote it. 



' I take a little wool and feather, and, tying it in 

 a particular manner upon a hook, make an imitation 

 of a fly ; then I throw it across the river and let it 

 sweep round the stream with a lively motion. Up 

 starts a monster fish with his murderous jaws, and 

 makes a dash at my little Andromeda. Then he is 

 the aggressor, not I ; his intention is evidently to 

 commit murder. He is caught in the act of putting 

 that intention into execution. Having wantonly 

 intruded himself upon my hook, which I contend he 

 had no right to do, he darts about in various direc- 

 tions, evidently surprised to find that the fly which 

 he had hoped to make an easy conquest of, is much 

 stronger than himself— I naturally attempt to regain 

 this fly unjustly withheld from me. The fish gets 

 tired and weak in his lawless efforts to deprive me of 

 it. I take advantage of his weakness, I own, and 

 drag him somewhat loth to the shore, where one rap 

 on the back of the head ends him in an instant.' 



Let us hope that these eminent authorities are 

 right. At any rate we may comfort ourselves with 

 the reflection that salmon have to be caught some- 

 how, and that a long and fruitless struggle in a net 

 must be at least as disagreeable as the nobler fate of 



