ON THE TROUT. 15 



who suffered himself to descend also with the 

 current just under the Bee, his nose almost 

 touching it for about three feet, but he struck 

 away without taking it. 



At another time I saw a fish swim up to 

 a Humble Bee which was thrown to him, and 

 examine it very attentively ; he then cautiously 

 and leisurely took it in his mouth and descended 

 with it, but immediately afterwards gave it up ; 

 he then seemed to be closely occupied with ano- 

 ther Humble Bee, swimming up to and away 

 from it, six times, each time almost touching it 

 with his nose. Ultimately he took this also, but 

 immediately rejected it again. 



Sir H. Davy (Salmonia, p. 28) says : " The 

 principal use of the nostrils in fishes, I believe, is 

 to assist in the propulsion of water through the 

 gills for performing the oifice of respiration ; but 

 I think there are some nerves in these organs 

 which give fishes a sense of the qualities of 

 water, or of substances dissolved in or diffused 

 through it, similar to our sense of smell, or 

 perhaps rather our sense of taste, for there can 

 be no doubt that fishes are attracted by scented 

 worms which are sometimes used by anglers that 

 employ ground baits." Also, p. 184, he says : 

 " We cannot judge of the senses of animals that 

 breathe water that separate air from water by 

 their gills ; but it seems probable that as the 



