68 THE SCIENTIFIC ANGLER. 



sometimes necessary to have these mounted with a little 

 cork, but no conspicuously bright coloring matter should 

 be used in its finish. A speck of bright color (say vermil- 

 ion) certainly aids the eye when placed upon the tip of 

 the quill, so as to project out of the water; indeed, this 

 is a wrinkle that every float-fisher is not acquainted with. 

 The new luminous * floats are very useful for special pur- 

 poses, though we cannot say we think it probable they 

 will ever become generally used, float-fishing in the dark 

 not being at present a popular pastime. 



The runners appended to the float should be of rubber; 

 these, being flexible, fit any ordinary-sized quill. The 

 non-flexible runners are a nuisance, and should ever be 

 avoided. They are always cracking when dry, and are 

 highly inconvenient in more ways than one. 



The best and strongest gut (silkworm for piscatorial 

 purposes) is round and smooth, clear as window-glass, or 

 as the limestone spring. The milky-white glaring gut, so 

 often met with, should be studiously avoided. No fair 

 means will take out the white glare from a batch of 

 pearly gut. Boiling dye will effect the purpose, but the 

 strength and sterling usefulness of the stuff will have so 

 deteriorated as to render it practically worthless. The 

 opaque silkworm gut is naturally found to be inferior in 

 point of strength; four lengths of the transparent and 

 clear variety are found to be equal to five of the white 

 and brighter kind of similar thickness. Spanish gut is 

 superior to that of either India or China. The most dis- 

 reputable is the Sicilian. This is found to be flat and 

 tender, as also so white and opaque as to be of little u^l- 

 ity. The Indian variety is especially noted for its exces- 

 sive length. This exceeds, usually, all its compeers. The 

 color is yellow, even when prepared and uncoated. No 

 dying will permanently alter the shade. As regards 



* A glass float, containing phosphorus. 



