FLIES. 219 



But I must not forget its great advantage on the 

 pool we have been fishing, namely, its size. This 

 hook, you see, and the one I lost was the same, 

 is about thirteen-sixteenths long : though I should 

 mention that the pattern belonging to Sir Francis 

 was not more than twelve-sixteenths long, and 

 that the body was of a similar coloured floss silk. 

 But what are you laughing at ? 



Herb. Only at seeing you so particular to a 

 hair's breadth. 



Theoph. It's well to laugh, but I have no other 

 way of conveying my notion of the sizes of hooks 

 to you. Every maker has his sizes numbered or 

 lettered according to his fancy ; but as all makers 

 differ from each other in their numbers, or par- 

 ticular distinguishing characters, none of which 

 convey any definite idea of size, except from 

 occular demonstration, and as I do not learn that 

 the statute books contain any act of parliament 

 which assimilates and equalizes their measures, 

 how else, in the name of goodness, can I make 

 you comprehend what is a small hook, and what 

 a large one? I do not approve of recipes 

 ordering " a little" of this, a "dash" of that, and 

 so forth; you will, however, only find a differ- 

 ence of one inch seven-sixteenths between the 

 largest salmon, and the smallest trout hook; and 

 if a quarter of an inch can be said to make such 

 a difference in a man's nose, surely a sixteenth is 



