CHAP. xxiv. The Observant. Turkey. 343 



while the full grown ones are taken by the mature fish. If you like to 

 take the opportunity of breeding some in a glass tank, it is very pretty 

 to see how they feed. Crumble some biscuit powder very fine between 

 your fingers, and let it drop quietly on the water, and it will cover the 

 surface like scum. You will then see how the stationary snail feeds 

 itself thereon. Remaining quite stationary on the glass, it creates a 

 current which draws the fine biscuit powder to and past it in a con- 

 tinuous stream ; and if you watch closely, you will observe that there 

 is much less biscuit powder in the stream that leaves it than in the 

 stream that comes to it. I thought to breed snails for my fish, and 

 put some in a large bathing tub in my garden. They did famously, 

 till an observant old Turkey cock went his rounds one morning and 

 ate them. Similia similibus curantur, so I ate him. I should think it 

 would not be a bad plan if you are preserving fish very closely, so 

 closely that you want to feed them for the table, as in stews, to have a 

 separate very small pond in which to breed snails free from being 

 preyed on when minute, so as to have a constant and large supply of 

 mature ones wherewith to feed your fish. Snails are excellent scavengers, 

 and rapidly clarify water. 



A few water-weeds will help to clarify your water, will give food 

 and harbour to both fish and snails, as well as numerous larvae which 

 make fish food ; and some fish will lay their ova on them. But if your 

 pond is frequented by bathers, you must be careful what you put in. I 

 have known a poor fellow drowned by having his legs caught by weeds, 

 and I had a most narrow escape of it myself, when swimming home 

 after snipe shooting, in preference to walking a long way round a long 

 tank. There is a weed which grows from the bottom by a long stem, 

 about the thickness of your Mahseer running line, with small hairs at 

 long intervals on each side of the stem. It is very brittle, and easily 

 breaks away from the swimmer, and it is beloved by the fish, and 

 snails, and larvae, and easily removable when excessive, and it does 

 not die down and make the water oifensive at times, as some other 

 weeds do. In Tamil, it is indifferently called perumpashi, kodipdshi, 

 and ilaipashi. 



In stocking any pond you must be careful to provide against escape 

 of your fish by the overflow. The first idea that occurs to one is 

 to bar their way with a grating. But a grating that will prevent 

 the passage of fry must be very fine indeed, and such a grating 



