148 By Stream and Sea. 



It is a pity our old friend the original porpoise died. He 

 had a fine sense of humour, and often played the Merry 

 Andrew. He ate his twenty herrings a day with infinite 

 relish ; and would come to the keeper at the sound of the 

 whistle. (Who shall say after this for the porpoise, though 

 not a fish, lives under the same conditions that fish cannot 

 hear ?) After seven months of perpetual motion, he died, 

 without any apparent cause, deeply lamented by all who 

 knew him. Another lived five months, and succumbed to 

 abscess in the liver. Then a juvenile porpoise was put in 

 possession of the immense tank, and after driving the 

 rock whiting out of their wits by his rapid charges into their 

 tanks, he died at the end of his first week's tenancy. 



The little Muscovite delicacy, the sterlet, is quite at 

 home in this country. Though these fish travelled 1400 

 miles before leaving their native land, not one was lost. 

 Observe the prettily-marked spine of this fish, its line of 

 silver beads down the side, its lightly-shaded fins, and its 

 small white tip-tilted snout. 



A gentleman has just sent a seasonable present from one 

 of his Petworth lakes a quantity of fat carp, tench, and 

 eels, and three pike that must average twenty pounds apiece. 

 These shark-like brutes have as yet refused to feed, but when 

 they become accustomed to the place it will be very sum- 

 mary jurisdiction that will be meted out to any roach, dace, 

 chub, or gudgeon that may be let loose amongst them. The 

 pike are splendid fish, and after you have watched their 

 wolf-like eye you need feel no compunction in using a large 

 spinning flight when next you go out pike-fishing. 



The larger bass cannot be induced to eat heartily, and 

 therefore look meanly amongst the bright-coloured shoal of 

 smaller specimens. The topers occupying the apartments of 

 the defunct porpoises are well worth watching; though 



