VORACITY OF TROUT. 43 



fishes are well known. The trout feeds on flies, 

 moths, worms, snails, beetles, larvae, shell-fish, the 

 spawn of other fishes (particularly that of the 

 salmon, which forms an excellent bait), grass- 

 hoppers, smaller fishes of every kind, not even 

 excepting those of its own species in a word, it 

 devours indiscriminately, and with equal avidity, 

 " every minute thing that swimmeth in the 

 waters." Nor is it always satisfied with tit-bits 

 and morsels, for even frogs, mice, water-lizards, 

 and (though with less probability) toads, are said 

 to deserve a not inconspicuous position in its 

 bill of fare." 



Flies as we have before illustrated are by 

 far the most nutritious kind of food. Of these 

 beautiful insects there are many hundreds of 

 species, some fifty or sixty of which, at least, 

 comprise the angler's catalogue of "imitations." 

 We ought, perhaps, to have mentioned earlier 

 that the action made by trout to seize their 

 winged prey, as it floats upon or hovers imme- 

 diately over the surface of the water, is called, in 

 angling phraseology, " rising." 



We shall appropriate the following chapter to 



a brief account obtained from the best sources 



of some of the principal flies, concluding the 



present chapter with remarking (though the cir~ 



