ANGLING REMINISCENCES. 221 



Swivel. And pigs eat bairns ! Bill. 



Wandle. I believe, gentlemen, no such unnatural 

 propensity is intended to be attributed to the pec- 

 oral tribe. The destruction chiefly complained of 

 is imagined to be in operation against the ova and 

 fry of the fish. Wool-washing the abridgment 

 of food presumed to have taken place on the sub- 

 stitution of sheep for black cattle (which, as you all 

 know, formerly constituted the live stock of the 

 districts to which I allude) and numerous other 

 causes, are brought forward in support of this sin- 

 gular allegation. 



Leister. Singular, Mr Wandle-weir, you may 

 well call it. It is, besides, utterly irrational, and at 

 variance with what happens to be observed in the 

 Southern districts of Scotland. Of a piece, not- 

 withstanding, it seems with other attempts made by 

 the prejudiced Highlanders to resist the introduction 

 of sheep into our Northern pasture-grounds. I need 

 only, however, in order to prove its inconsistency 

 with fact, direct your attention to what happens to 

 be the case in Selkirkshire a county where it will 

 be allowed the woolly tribe is reared to no inconsi- 

 derable extent. You are yourself acquainted with 

 many of its numerous streams, such especially as 

 have their channel and origin among sheep-pastures, 

 and cannot fail to agree with me, that of these, one 

 and all are crowded with trout almost beyond belief, 

 and that during the autumnal and hibernal months, 

 they are visited, although lying at a great distance 



