THE REASONING POWER OF FISHES. 29 



baited with good-sized minnows hooked through 

 the back, in such a manner as not to kill them. After 

 the lines had been down the first night, I took from 

 them in the morning twenty-five good-sized salmon 

 trout. Each successive morning thereafter, I took 

 less and less, until on the eighth day the number 

 had diminished to about seven or eight. But the 

 astonishing part of it was, that the bait was gone 

 from every hook just the same as it was on the first 

 morning, when I made the big catch. I knew that 

 the trout were not all caught out, but it was very 

 apparent that I could not catch any more, without 

 removing to a new ground and cutting a new set of 

 holes, which I accordingly did, about a quarter of a 

 mile from my former grounds. There my results 

 were the same as before, and after fishing seven or 

 eight days, I found it would be necessary for me 

 to move again. 



One day I ran a line of hooks in such a direction 

 that one of them came over a rocky bar where there 

 was open water. I saw there was an opportunity 

 for an experiment, which I at once decided to try. 

 I fastened the upper end of the line to an overhang- 

 ing piece of brush, so that nothing could interfere 

 with the bait below without decidedly moving the 

 brush. Then I lay down on the ice with a coat 

 over my head, so that I could look down through 

 the clear water and watch developments. Presently 

 a large, fine trout came along and began manoeu- 

 vring with the minnow attached to the hook, and 

 operated in the following manner : He kept as close 

 to the minnow as possible, and repeatedly snapped 

 at it very cautiously, re-opening his mouth before he 



