Xvi PREFACE. 



open to such things as might, from their nature, 

 be fitted to employ and improve a fleeting mo- 

 ment in his casual ramblings. 



As we do not profess to be anything beyond 

 mere simple anglers, we enter into no learned 

 and subtle account of our finny friends, leaving 

 such fine statements, couched as they often are 

 in Anglo-Greek or bastard Latin, to the forward 

 children of science who are growing up so fast 

 on all sides. 



And, now, kind and patient reader, having 

 said thus much in our prattling style, by way of 

 " getting your ear," as it is called in the lan- 

 guage of the very cunning ones, and thus 

 creating some previous feeling in our favour, 

 we request you will turn your eye upon the next 

 leaf, and do us the honour to muse awhile on 

 those varied themes, which we have thrown 

 alDOut, somewhat at random it may be, in the 

 pages of our Introduction. 



