JUNE, 1882. 183 



appeared, until the diminished radiance warns us that 

 the time must be made the most of. Ha ! he has crossed 

 our bows and is off. The spear is launched after him 

 with apparent success, for as the handle bobs to the 

 surface some yards away, the wriggling, and struggling, 

 white figure shows the skate is pinned below. But it 

 has had just a second too long to itself, and when we 

 again secure the handle one last jerk frees it. For a 

 skate, by folding itself back, and giving a great jerk, will 

 manage to chuck itself off the end of even the barbed 

 prongs of a spear. Eyes require to be sharp, and the 

 thruster skilful now, as the bottom is but very faintly 

 illuminated, but there is a dark form hurrying into 

 deep water in advance of the boat. The spear is flung 

 vigorously after it, and for a minute disappears. What 

 has happened ? Has the fish gone away with it, or has 

 it stuck among tangle fronds and stems at the bottom ? 

 Suddenly, as we sit looking about us, the handle bobs up 

 several yards away in an unexpected direction, and a 

 desperately struggling skate still at the end of it. By 

 this time the sharpest eyes are getting overstrained, and 

 the dissipated looking moon, half ashamed of itself, is 

 peering over the fir tops behind us, so we slip past the 

 varied foliage of beech and silver, and seek our own 

 beach in the moonlight, with eight fine thornbacks on 

 board, "as much as any one ought to take at a time," 

 says every one, although we had taken advantage of 

 every moment of daylight to increase the slaughter. 



We are often surprised at the impunity with which 

 certain classes of marine life support existence in fresh 

 water, which is yet certain poison to the great majority 

 of marine creatures. When passing over the little bridge 

 across the neighbouring stream, at high water, during 



