THE COMMON TROUT. 27 



regularly came when summoned by his master by 

 the name ' Ned,' to feed from his hand on snails, 

 worms, and bread. This remarkable fish has been 

 visited and considered a curiosity by the neighbour- 

 ing country for several years." 



" I have already told you," saysFrancks, " that the 

 salmon is the king of fishes in the freshes, and now 

 I must tell you the princely trout has his residence 

 and principality in the same fluctuating element, 

 partaking very much of the nature of salmon, ad- 

 miring stiff and rapid streams in the Vernon Ingress ; 

 but he accosts the solitary deeps most months in 

 the winter. In the spring you shall observe this 

 active animal scud to the fords, where he flutters 

 his fins at every silly fly, for that's his rendezvous ; 

 and there you '11 find him, 'picking and gliding 

 among stones in the bottom, to scour off, if possible, 

 the slimy substance and scurf from his sickly sides, 

 frequently occasioned through want ,of motion; and 

 that when the sun vegetates and invigorates the 

 creation, then is he invigorated with motion and 

 activity, which argues a very great and unpardon- 

 able absurdity in the ignorant and incredulous 

 angler, to fancy that perigrination debilitates and 

 weakens him, when apparently it adds an additional 

 strength ; not well considering they were only told 

 so, or peradventure they had read it in some printed 

 book, concluding from thence an infallibility in the 

 press. 



But as I intend not to burden you with circum- 

 locutions, for brevity's sake I shall range the trout 



