ANCIENT ANGLING AUTHORS 199 



never known to be put : But in England we have 

 not been so lucky as to find it true, for there were 

 none of this kind of Fish in all the Island before they 

 were brought into it by Leonard Mascall, about a 

 hundred and sixty years ago, as he himself tells us 

 in his Treatise of Fishing. 



Green peas are recommended as a bait for carp : 



But I lately discover'd a green Pea to be a Bait 

 inferior to none, if not the best of all; and that I 

 may never be at a loss for one, I cause a sufficient 

 quantity to be half boiPd, and cover'd with melted 

 Butter. 



Brookes describes the "rud" and the "red eye" 

 as two different fish ; they are of course now recog- 

 nised as the same fish, the rudd, or red - eye 

 (Leuciscus erythrophthalmus). 



In referring to the prevailing ignorance of the 

 method of generation of the eel, Brookes states 

 that he was "assur'd by a Fisherman of Mortlack, 

 that he had seen Spawn in the Belly of one sticking 

 to the Outside of the Guts two or three times, and 

 that it was like the Spawn of the Barbel, and about 

 the Size of a common Marble; which, if true, it is 

 very surprising that it should have escap'd the 

 diligent Enquiries of all Writers, ancient and modern. 

 However, he is now living, and ready to make 

 affidavit of the Truth of the Assertion." 



Eighty-six varieties of sea-fish, including whales, 

 turtles, crabs, lobsters, cockles, etc., are .illustrated and 

 described, and the book concludes with an interesting 



