FISHES AND FISHING. 103 



floating, with their heads pointing up the stream, how 

 they diverge a considerable distance to the right, or 

 left, to examine every little object that floats near 

 them, and ascertain whether it be fit for food ; but 

 only let a fly come jrithin a yard, and see how the 

 fish will dart forward, and seize it ; this must be 

 through the excellence of the trout's vision, for there 

 is nothing in this instance to agitate the water, so as 

 to produce any vibratory effect on the organ of hear- 

 ing, neither can the fish be guided to its prey by the 

 sense of smell, of an object at that distance. 



Again, watch a chub basking in the sun. Let the 

 shadow of a bird, at a considerable distance, only pass 

 over the spot, and the fish descends instantly. If this 

 be not acute sight, what induces that motion in chub? 



Another exemplification of the acute power of 

 vision, will be found in the following. Close to 

 Thames Lock, there was a grove of trees which ex- 

 tended a short way up the bank of the navigation, 

 amongst them were two or three cotton trees. When 

 the pods containing the cotton burst, on coming to 

 perfection, the flocks of cotton descended, probably 

 half of them into the water, where there were a shoal 

 of bleak awaiting their descent ; one among their 

 number took the flock of cotton in his mouth, pulled 

 it under water, extracted the seed which was at- 

 tached to the cotton and let it go, when the cotton 



