Enemies. 



quickly absent themselves, falling back down 

 stream, to recruit their wasted condition. 



All other fishes, too, are most greedy de- 

 vourers of the ova of trout and salmon ; hence 

 it is that the use of these eggs as bait is 

 forbidden by law. In the Museum of Fish 

 Culture, South Kensington, will be seen the 

 cast of the stomach of a trout crammed with 

 salmon eggs ; this is only one instance. 



Besides piscine foes, the eggs and young fry 

 have to contend against birds and beasts, which 

 hunt them out and devour them to an untold 

 extent ; water-fowl, rats, weasels, and many 

 other creatures are enemies to be warned off 

 the spawning ground. 



About kingfishers there can be no doubt. 

 These water-vultures will find out the where- 

 abouts of young fish, especially young trout, 

 from a long distance, and will not leave till the 

 place has been cleared. Ornamental as the 

 kingfisher, one of our handsomest British birds, 



