20 FISHING GOSSIP. 



ing and howling over his remains, as they are buf- 

 feted about by the waves. Such is the natural end 

 of ferox full of indignities indeed, but from which 

 it is consoling to reflect that the insensibility of 

 death has plucked the sting ! 



The food of this distinguished member of his 

 family, like his place in systematic arrangements, 

 has been a matter of doubt and dispute. That his 

 whole bill of fare cannot be correctly filled up is 

 very probable. But sufficient data, I think, exist to 

 make out a tolerable carte of his favourite dishes. 

 Oh ! those words of learned sound, and little mean- 

 ing, that must be used to describe this food in the 

 jargon of science, make one almost shudder. That 

 he is, then, insectivorous, vermivorous, molluscivorous, 

 piscivorous, and probably herbivorous, is all but certain. 

 I have taken him with at least twenty different kinds 

 of lake flies. I have seen him in his junior state 

 dragged up like a malefactor amongst slimy eels on 

 a night-line baited with worms. He has risen to my 

 hook baited with five species of little fishes namely, 

 the loach, stickleback, fry of trout and pike and 

 the gudgeon. His addiction to these dainties has 

 been proved to me numberless times by a very un- 

 willing visit to my net. There is, however, as far I 

 have been able to observe, one condition necessary to 

 his indulgence in these luxuries. They must be in a 

 comparatively minute form, and presented to him on 



