THE COMMON TROUT. 203 



To Niphate's top invited, 



Whither spiteful Satan steered ; 

 Or descend where the ark alighted, 



When the green earth re-appeared ; 



For the power of hills is on thee, 



As was witnessed through thine eye J 

 Then, when old Helvellyn won thee, 



To confess their majesty ! 



But let us descend again to the low countries, 

 and take a nearer and more detailed view of certain 

 branches of our subject. 



In regard to the size to which the common trout 

 attains, we think that " the constants of nature" 

 have been in no way ascertained, so far as this 

 species is concerned. A weight ranging from a few 

 ounces to about a pound, includes the great majo- 

 rity of those found in the generality of rivers. 

 Many lakes swarm with small trout, but usually 

 the average size in lakes exceeds that of rivers. A 

 river trout of a pound weight is a goodly fish, one 

 of two pounds a very fine one, of three pounds ex- 

 tremely rare. Yet there are many recorded cases 

 of river-trout weighing eight, ten, twelve, fifteen, 

 twenty, even twenty-five pounds weight ; but we 

 have little doubt that bull-trout of these dimensions 

 have not seldom been mistaken for the genuine 

 fresh water species. 



We do not here desire to dwell upon that painful 

 portion of the character of certain anglers of whom 

 the present reader is not one which induces them 

 to magnify their captures both in size and number. 

 We have met with many men who never killed a 

 trout under a pound weight, even by accident, and 



