ON THE TROUT. 5 



These remarks, although not strictly applicable 

 to the Trout of all streams, may still, perhaps, not 

 be found useless, in a great variety of instances, 

 particularly in respect of brooks. 



His great shyness renders it extremely difficult 

 to obtain any accurate knowledge of his habits, 

 by ocular demonstration. Even a thick bush will 

 seldom be found sufficiently opaque to conceal the 

 observer. 



Observatory. 



With a view to obviate this difficulty I built a 

 little fishing Hut, or Observatory, of heath, over- 

 hanging a part of the river Blythe, near Uttoxeter, 

 in Staffordshire, which seemed favourable for the 

 purpose. Its form was octagonal, and it had three 

 windows, which being situated only four feet and 

 a half above the surface of the water, allowed 

 a very close view of it. The middle one com- 

 manded a scour, each of the two others a small 

 whirlpool or eddy. The curtains of the windows 

 were provided with peepholes, so that the fish 

 could not see his observer, and a bank was thrown 

 up, in order to prevent a person approaching the 

 entrance of the hut from alarming the fish. 



The stream was regularly fished, and nothing 

 else was done to interfere with the natural state of 

 the animal. 



The stationary position in which he is enabled 



