40 



down in our midst in the prime of life, by those now 

 unresistless miasmas that unseen strike death into their 

 victims ? 



I wish some society would placard the walls of every 

 town with the number of deaths that occur from unsanitary 

 causes ; how quickly this would bring the authorities to 

 their senses, who, perhaps, never even hear of the daily but 

 isolated mortality occurring in their localities ! 



In the same way, and as an incentive to that action, that 

 will be the means of saving both animal and fish life ; let 

 every fishing society procure records of the number of dead 

 salmon and trout found in their respective districts, and let 

 the press proclaim that waters that can produce such results 

 are impure and unfit for man or fish, and that when the 

 means exist to render the filthy clean, the public should 

 demand that what is feasible must no longer be delayed in 

 being put into operation. 



Can these questions be answered in the meantime ? 



Is the Thames polluted ? Ask those who live at Green- 

 wich, Crossness, Deptford, Tilbury, and Barking ! Ask the 

 great shipowners ! Ask the myriad craft that daily ply 

 upon the river below London ! 



Is the Clyde polluted ? Is the Mersey ? Is the Irwell ? 

 Is the Aire ? Is the Wye ? Can their impurity be denied ? 

 What would old Izaak Walton say if he could witness the 

 condition of the streams where once he was captivated by 

 his fascinating sport ? 



A meeting was summoned lately to discuss the polluted 

 state of the Wye, which was till lately well known for its 

 fisheries ; I therefore propose to read a short extract from 

 the report of the meeting, taken from the Field. 



"The meeting was largely attended by the influential 



