38 VISION IN FISHES. 



days, and even at different periods of the same 

 day. Nothing can be more preposterous than 

 such a notion, universal though it be amongst the 

 most experienced anglers ; yet, at the same time, 

 I am well aware that the facts are certain upon 

 which they found the fancy, but are to be ac- 

 counted for on a totally different principle. The 

 fish appear to seize upon an artificial fly, because, 

 when drawn along the water, it has the appear- 

 ance of being a living insect, whose species is 

 quite unimportant, as all insects are equally 

 welcome. The aim of the angler, accordingly, 

 ought to be to have his artificial fly calculated, by 

 its form and colours*, to attract the notice of the 

 fish, in which case he has a much greater chance 

 of success than by making the greatest efforts to 

 imitate any particular species of fly." This ex- 

 tract, from " The Alphabet of Angling," contains 

 the substance of Professor Eennie's remarks on 

 this subject, a subject to which we shall revert 

 in a subsequent chapter, remarking at present 

 that we are forcibly struck with the idea that 



* The learned Professor appears to have forgotten what 

 he had just said about " colours and forms." The " routine 

 system" is very ingeniously defended from the Professor's 

 " heretical innovations " by Messrs. Shipley and Fitzgibbon. 

 See their Treatise on Fly-Fishing, chap. vii. 



