80 ON BAITS. 



The ghastly newt in muddy streams annoy, 

 And in swift floods the felly snake destroys ; 

 Toads for the swarming fry forsake the lawn 

 And croaking frogs devour the tender spawn. 

 Neither the habitants of land nor air, 

 (So sure their doom) the fishy numbers spare : 

 The swan, fair regent of the silver tide, 

 Their ranks destroy, and spread their ruin wide ; 

 The duck her offspring to the river leads, 

 And on the destin'd fry insatiate feeds ; 

 On fatal wings the pouncing bittern soars, 

 And wafts her prey from the defenceless shores ; 

 The watchful halcyons to their reeds repair, 

 And from their haunts the scaly captive hear ; 

 Sharp herns, and coim'rants too their tribe oppress, 

 A harass'd race, peculiar in distress, 

 Nor can the muse enumerate their foes : 

 Such is their fate, so various are their woes." 



CHAPTER 2. A FEW REMARKS ON BAITS WHERE TO BE FOUND 



AND HOW TO BE PRESERVED. 



MINNOWS AND GUDGEONS 



Are to be found in many small rivulets, and may be taken 

 by small nets and kept in a tin kettle of an oval form, the 

 lid to open with an hinge, and pierced full of holes to let' 

 in the air, and the handle to carry it by to be over the 

 top. If your bait-fish be dead, pack them in bran, which 

 will absord the moisture, and if you have to keep them 

 a length of time, sprinkle a little salt over them. They 

 are a good bait for pike, trout, perch and eels. 



