ACHIEVEMENTS. 229 



Swivel. And pigs eat bairns ! Bill. 



Wandle. I believe, gentlemen, no such unnatural 

 propensity is intended to be attributed to the pec- 

 oral tribe. The destruction chiefly complained of 

 is imagined to be in operation against the ova and 

 fry of the fish. Wool- washing the abridgment 

 of food presumed to have taken place on the sub- 

 stitution of sheep for black cattle (which, as you all 

 know, formerly constituted the live stock of the 

 districts to which I allude) and numerous other 

 causes, are brought forward in support of this sin- 

 gular allegation. 



Leister. Singular, Mr. Wandle-weir, you may 

 well call it. It is, besides, utterly irrational, and 

 at variance with what happens to be observed 

 in the Southern districts of Scotland. Of a piece, 

 notwithstanding, it seems with other attempts 

 made by the prejudiced Highlanders to resist the 

 introduction of sheep into our Northern pasture- 

 grounds. I need only, however, in order to 

 prove its inconsistency with fact, direct your 

 attention to what happens to be the case in 

 , Selkirkshire a county where it will be allowed 

 the woolly tribe is reared to no inconsiderable 

 extent. You are yourself acquainted with many 

 of its numerous streams, such especially as have 

 their channel and origin among sheep-pastures, and 

 cannot fail to agree with me, that of these, one 

 and all are crowded with trout almost beyond belief, 



