BIRCH BROWSINGS. 188 



Commit some heinous offense, but the fact that this 

 villain escaped without some such visitation throws 

 discredit on all such stories. 



The great attraction, however, of this region, is the 

 brook trout, with which the streams and lakes abound 

 The water is of excessive coldness, the thermometer 

 indicating 44 and 45 in the springs, and 47 or 

 48 in the smaller streams. The trout are generally 

 small, but in the more remote branches their number 

 *s very great. In such localities the fish are quite 

 olack, but in the lakes they are of a lustre and brill- 

 ancy impossible to describe. 



These waters have been much visited of late years 

 by fishing parties, and the name of Beaver Kill is 

 now a potent word among New York sportsmen. 



One lake, in the wilds of Callikoon, abounds in a 

 peculiar species of white sucker, which is of excellent 

 quality. It is taken only in spring, during the 

 spawning season, at the time " when the leaves are 

 as big as a chipmunk's ears." The fish run up the 

 small streams and inlets, beginning at nightfall, and 

 continuing till the channel is literally packed with 

 them, and every inch of space is occupied. The 

 fishermen pounce upon them at such times, and scoop 

 them up by the bushel, usually wading right into the 

 living mass and landing the fish with their hands. 

 A small party will often secure in this manner a 

 wagon load of fish. Certain conditions of the 

 weather, as a warm south or southwest wind, are 

 considered most favorable for the fish to run. 



