CEUELTY OF FISHES. 



" Why flyest thou away with fear ? 

 , Trust me, there's naught of danger near : 



I have no wicked hook, 

 All covered with a smarting bait, 

 Alas ! to tempt thee to thy fate, 



And drag thee from the brook. 

 Oh harmless tenant of the flood, 

 I do not wish to spill thy blood ; 



For nature unto thee 

 Perchance has given a tender wife, 

 And children dear, to charm thy life, 



As she hath done to me. 

 Enjoy thy stream, oh harmless fish, 

 And when an angler, for his dish, 



Through gluttony's vile sin 

 Attempts a wretch to pull thee out, 

 God give thee strength, oh gentle trout, 



To pull the rascal in /" 



Instances are common of fishes following a hooked one, and, 

 while it is being played by the angler, biting pieces out of 

 it, and sometimes swallowing it, so that both are landed. It 

 may be readily inferred from this that small fish form at- 

 tractive bait. Fish evince no mercy for any living thing 

 which inhabits the waters, and most of the angler's fishes 

 feed readily on their own broods. As fish are generally at- 

 tracted by the sight or smell of blood, red feathers, burnt 

 wool, and scarlet braid, etc., are found to fascinate them when 

 attached to trolls; especially is this proven to be the case 

 in trolling for bluefish, black bass, and maskinonge. 



I therefore conclude that, as the principal food of all fishes 

 consists of animals and animalcule, with water-insects, and 

 the spawn deposited in the waters, these last seeming to form 

 the dainties most eagerly sought by them, so the unlimited 

 voracity of fishes, which has no counterpart in any other 

 branch of animal creation, may be one of the means wisely 

 ordered to check an excessive multiplication ; and that their 

 extraordinary fecundity is probably a provision of nature for 

 supplying an adequate amount of food, upon the same prin- 

 ciple that land insects are so greatly multiplied probably for 

 supplying food to birds. 



