136 SPRING-TIDE. 



it and was captured. It is well known 

 that a small trout is a tempting bait for 

 a large one ; and this is notoriously the case 

 with pike, who prefer their own young 

 to any other fish. Smelts, too, are most 

 readily taken with pieces of their own kind. 

 Taking into account the comparative in- 

 sensibility to pain of these creatures, with 

 the habit of fish in preying upon their own 

 species, the adventure of my friend appears 

 the less incredible. But what are you 

 watching so attentively? 



J. I was observing the robin on that 

 withered branch yonder : he has been re- 

 garding our doings apparently with great 

 attention for the last ten minutes, and seems 

 to look on with more than brute intel- 

 ligence. 



S. It is a characteristic of that interest- 

 ing bird which has made him such a fa- 

 vourite with us country folk. Walk down 

 your garden, and take a seat in your summer- 



