90 



between trout and any other fish. Certain old trout 

 also become unusually destructive to their brethren. 

 Like the u rogue-elephants," and the "man-eaters," 

 among the lions, they become morose and sullen, live 

 apart from the rest, and make war upon everything 

 around. When you find one of this kind, spear him at 

 once, as the;*e is no cure, and he will invariably destroy 

 more than he is worth. It may be worth while to men- 

 tion here how one trout eats another. An old trout will 

 catch a smaller one, in some cases one-half of its own 

 size, by the middle, and with its strong jaws hold it fast 

 and swim around with it, while the prisoner worries and 

 struggles to get free. This performance lasts until the 

 victim gets loose or is exhausted, being continued some- 

 times for half a day. If the little fellow gets free, it is 

 usually only to die a lingering death ; for the breaking 

 of the skin is fatal. When it is exhausted, the old rogue, 

 dropping his victim, which until this time he has held 

 by the middle, siezes it again by the head, and slowly 

 swallows it whole ; the operation sometimes taking 

 several hours, and while in progress making the fish look 

 as it had no head, but only a tail at each end. 



In some localities minks are very destructive. These 

 animals are particularly to be dreaded because they do 

 not only kill what fish they want to eat, but will take" 

 out fifty or one hundred before they stop, and having 

 found a well stocked pond, they will resort to it again 

 and again. The best way to trap them is as follows : 

 Make a box eighteen inches long by six inches broad and 

 deep, leaving one end open, set a common game trap (such 

 as used for catching muskrats) in the open end of the box 

 in such a position that when the jaws are Closed they will 

 be in a line with the length of the trap. If it is set cross- 

 ways it will be apt to throw the mink out instead of catch- 



