148 THE HAUNTS OF LIFE 



part and parcel of the mud and manure be- 

 came, through the middlemen Bacteria, part 

 and parcel of the Infusorians. These were in- 

 corporated in water-fleas, which, in turn, 

 found a new incarnation in fishes. What was 

 part and parcel of the fish became part and 

 parcel of man. And so the world goes round. 

 If we believe that fish-food is good for the 

 brain, as some doctors tell us, we may trace 

 the links of a chain between mud and clear 

 thinking. 



The sturdy fern, called Bracken, is doing 

 much harm in Britain and other countries by 

 destroying pasture land. It kills out the grass 

 and other useful plants, and it is so vigorous 

 that it can conquer even the heather. One 

 wishes, therefore, that there might be a whole- 

 sale repetition of the experiment of tumbling 

 cartloads of bracken into fresh-water lochs. 

 The result, where it was tried, was the great 

 improvement of the fishing. For the bracken 

 tumbled into the water was acted on by Bac- 

 teria, and rotted, providing food for Infuso- 

 rians, which in turn gave sustenance to water- 

 fleas, as these to fishes. If we cast bracken on 

 the waters, we may get, after many days 

 not bread exactly, but trout! 



