198 ATTRACTION OF THE SPINNING BAIT. 



and almost avoid casting, the length of your rod 

 allowing you to drop in your bait noiselessly 

 wherever you like, and spin it accordingly. 



Your bait spins by means of swivels on your 

 foot-trace, and by a bend given to your bait close 

 by the tail. The spinning or revolving motion 

 communicated to your bait as you draw it towards 

 you, makes it, no doubt, exceedingly attractive to 

 fish of prey. It seems then to fly madly for its 

 life, though it has none. Predaceous animals of 

 all sorts rush with might and main after the prey 

 that flees with the most timid fleetness from them. 

 The hawk darts at the frightened lark, the grey- 

 hound outstrips the wind, urged on by the fear- 

 ful strides of the craven hare. I have often 

 thought, if, contrary to instinct, hares, instead of 

 shooting away when started, would run playfully 

 towards the hound, fawn and jump upon him, and 

 about him fondly, the hound might have his in- 

 stinct of destruction blunted, and his ferocity 

 softened down. I should like to see how a grey- 

 hound would act in the midst of a flock of skipping 

 hares, not one of them running away from, but all 

 running towards him. We have all seen a hawk 

 nonplussed by being surrounded by an immense 

 flock of swallows, larks, linnets, and other small 

 birds, and seem anxious to part company from 

 them. If one, however, leaves the flock and flies 

 away frightened, the hawk scuds after the timid 



