WAYS OF FRESH-WATER FISHES. 153 



in their fright, would venture too near the current 

 that ran over the splash - boards, and, after vain 

 efforts to recover themselves, would wriggle down, 

 tail first, into the other side of the mill-pool, to be 

 instantly snapped up by the pike there. Roach 

 and small trout the monsters could have in abun- 

 dance ; that was their common food, easy enough 

 to get whenever they required it ; it would have 

 been useless to try to capture them with either of 

 these : but gudgeon were a luxury which they tried 

 their hardest to procure when it was possible. 



Now gudgeon are, at certain times troubled by 

 some law known to themselves compelled, like 

 eels, to make down-stream. Let any one curious 

 in such matters, who knows their haunts, watch 

 them gather for days if there is any fall in the 

 water before they will finally allow themselves to 

 be carried over, tail first, into the current below. 

 They do not all go over at the same time a few, 

 the finest fish, slip over first, in small companies, as 

 if to show the main body the best method of doing 

 it. At such a time those observant rustic anglers 

 would gather on that bridge. Their rods were of 

 the most primitive description, simply a hazel stick 



