112 GAME BIRDS AND WILD FOWL. 



person to avail himself of this epicurean taste in 

 the pike, by constructing artificial birds rather 

 than flies varying from the size of a wren to 

 that of a young duck, and composed of all manner 

 of gaudy feathers, silk, and tinsel, to attract the 

 attention of the monster and lure him to the 

 deadly hook, when his appetite might be capri- 

 cious or the water muddier than usual. When 

 this bait is worked a little under the surface 

 just as they play a salmon fly on the Shan- 

 non its movements appear exceedingly like 

 those of a young water-fowl when diving. This 

 struck me particularly one day, when endea- 

 vouring to rescue a half-grown moor-hen from 

 my retriever, who had pursued it through a 

 thick bed of flags and sedges into a narrow and 

 deep but transparent brook. The dog was close 

 behind, and had already caught a glimpse of the 

 poor bird, who, finding it impossible to escape 

 down-stream without passing under the legs of 

 its enemy, had no alternative but to dive against 

 the current, although it made little or no pro- 

 gress ; and the manoeuvre would doubtless have 

 failed, if I had not succeeded at that moment 

 in withdrawing the dog^s attention and calling 

 him to heel ; but I could not help observing 

 that the struggles of the little moor-hen to con- 

 tinue under water, and its ineffectual attempts 



