AND OF STILL WATERS. 115 



thereupon in spawning-time. Some authorities 

 recommend that osiers should be planted round 

 the ponds ; but on this question, and also on 

 another closely allied to it namely, whether 

 trees should be allowed on the margin of fish- 

 pondsthere are considerable differences of 

 opinion. 



Izaak Walton, quoting from Dr. Lebauk's 

 " Maison Rustique," says that " if many trees be 

 growing about your pond, the leaves thereof 

 falling into the water make it nauseous to the 

 fish, and the fish to be so to the eater of it." 

 Others, on the contrary, recommend that trees 

 should be encouraged on account of the insects 

 that abound on their leaves and branches, 

 caterpillars and suchlike being dainty morsels 

 to the palates of fish. The late Frank Buckland 

 did not give an opinion on the knotty point of 

 trees or no trees, but contented himself by 

 recommending that any dead leaves likely to 

 fall, or to be blown, into the pond should be 

 collected and burnt, as they are apt to make 

 too much mud in the water. As regards the 

 feeding of fish, he recommends particularly 

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