70 DAYS AND NIGHTS OF SALMON FISHING. 



which they are viewed are the same. I know a locality 

 in Dumfries-shire, amidst the hills of Queensberry, 

 where three mountain streams, all of different charac- 

 ter, meet — the one proceeding from a moss ; the other 

 running over a clear channelly bed ; and the third, from 

 its clayey banks and bottoms, exhibiting a milk-and- 

 water aspect, like the ' flavus Tiberis' (or Albula) of 

 Italy. Now the trouts in all these streams were of the 

 same generic type; but differed, notwithstanding, in 

 external appearance or colour. The moss race were of 

 the Roderick Dhu tint — aspect grim and swarthy: the 

 clear channel produced those of a brightly spotted ap- 

 pearance; and the clay bottom exhibited a correspond- 

 ingly bluish race. Now, you might convert the blue fish 

 into bright, and the bright again into black, by mere- 

 ly transferring them into the corresponding streams. 

 This often took place, more or less, after what is called a 

 thunder plump, which falls partially, and is quite local. 

 I have seen one of these streams overflowing its banks . 

 and carrying all before it, whilst its two mountain sis- 

 ters remained calm and unmoved. Upon the ebbing of 

 this partial flood, the trouts in the two conjoining 

 streams immediately rush in quest of food (particularly 

 after a long drought) into the other ; and, in less time 

 than any one who has not marked the fact could believe, 

 they all become of the same appearance. Upon return- 

 ing again into their native waters, they reassume their 

 former colour. Fill your basket with fish from all the 

 three streams, and in a little while that part of the bo- 

 dies which presses against the others will exhibit the 

 same appearance, whilst the other parts will remain as 



