THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 103 



or as the birds of paradise and the chameleon are 

 said to live, by the sun and the air. 



There is also in Northumberland a trout called 

 a bull-trout, of a much greater length and bigness 

 than any in these southern parts. And there are 

 in many rivers that relate to the sea salmon- 

 trouts, as much different from others, both in shape 

 and in their spots, as we see sheep in some coun- 

 tries differ one from another in their shape and 

 bigness and the fineness of their wool. And cer- 

 tainly, as some pastures breed larger sheep, so do 

 some rivers, by reason of the ground over which 

 they run, breed larger trouts. 



Now, the next thing that I will commend to 

 your consideration is, that the trout is of a more 

 sudden growth than other fish ; concerning which 

 you are also to take notice that he lives not so 

 long as the perch and divers other fishes do, as 

 Sir Francis Bacon hath observed in his " History 

 of Life and Death." 



And next you are to take notice that he is not 

 like the crocodile, which if he lives never so long, 

 yet always thrives till his death. But it is not so 

 with the trout; for after he is come to his full 

 growth, he declines in his body, and keeps his 

 bigness, or thrives only in his head, till his death. 

 And you are to know that he will about, especially 

 before, the time of his spawning get almost mira- 

 culously through weirs and flood-gates against the 

 streams, even through such high and swift places 

 as is almost incredible. Next, that the trout 



