CH. III.] SPAWN DEVOURED BY BIRDS AND FISH. 51 



occupy more than a couple of days, and that it is 

 often performed in one. There are, however, occa- 

 sional exceptions, as I have seen it going on in the 

 same pond on the 3rd of June, and again on the 

 9th of the same month. 



There can be no doubt that (in shallow ponds 

 particularly) a great part of the spawn is devoured 

 by water-birds, and that small fish, Roach for 

 instance, are also very destructive to it. Having 

 one day, after watching the Carp spawning, taken 

 up a position in a summer-house hard by, I saw fly 

 into the pond four Mallards, which within a minute 

 or two were busily engaged with their heads under 

 water exactly where I had seen the Carp. In a 

 very short time they were joined by a Moor-hen, 

 who also immediately went eagerly to work at the 

 same place. 



I had at one time, by constantly feeding the 

 Roach in one of these ponds, brought them to such 

 a degree of tameness, that they would take bread 

 out of my fingers, and play round and through 

 them in scores. Generally they were collected in 

 numbers waiting to be fed at their accustomed 

 breakfast-time, but I noticed that, while the Carp 

 were engaged in spawning, only two or three made 

 their appearance, and even they would scarcely 



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