WATER POACHERS 183 



High Wycombe he observed a pair of trout spawning 

 on a shallow ford, and another just below them 

 devouring the ova as fast as it was deposited by the 

 spawner. The keeper netted the thief, and in its 

 stomach was found upwards of two ounces of solid 

 ova, or about three hundred eggs. Eels particularly 

 root up the gravel beds, and the small river lamprey 

 has also been seen busily engaged in the like pursuit. 

 These have a method in going about their depreda- 

 tions that is quite interesting. Small parties of 

 them work together, and by means of their suckers 

 they remove the stones, immediately boring down 

 after the hidden spawn. If a stone be too large for 

 one to lift another will come to its aid, even four or 

 five having been seen to unite their forces. It is a 

 good-sized stone which can resist their efforts, 

 and the mischief they do is considerable. Even 

 water-beetles and their larvae must, on account of 

 their numbers and voracity, come within the reckon- 

 ing, and among the most destructive of these are 

 water-shrimps and the larvae of the dragon-fly. 

 Have we not been told that while the loved Mayfly 

 is " on," all hours, meats, decencies and respecta- 

 bilities must yield to his caprice, so that the pink- 

 spotted trout, rushing from every hover, may be 

 lifted gently from its native stream to gasp away its 

 life among the lush summer grass ? But if the gauzy- 

 winged fly is one of the loved likes of the trout, the 



