68 MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS 



ous experiment for some one how amused he would 

 feel at his first success. Whether an ancient philoso- 

 pher, or a neat herd boy, is of little consequence. 

 And now when we do believe the shrimp is the small 

 marine creature to be imitated (instead of some un- 

 known fly of the air), and in consequence, in making 

 up our deceptions, strive to copy that little fish more 

 closely, yet in this we may not succeed better than 

 by holding to our old experience. 



From examination of the shrimp dry in our hand, 

 along with the best imitation we may be able to 

 make of it, we might be misled in our judgment on 

 the matter, from the want of being able to examine 

 it with the eye of a salmon through a salt water 

 medium, where the effect of colour, shape, and 

 motion, may give a very different appearance ; and 

 hence, after having acknowledged our conviction of 

 the exactitude of our similitude, may yet be led to 

 prefer our old fashion from the mere accidence of 

 eventual success. This is to say that our chance 

 imitation, formed upon the principle of success in 

 repeated trials, may be as true a resemblance as a 

 more closely designed imitation might ensure. Yet 

 still it is a curious consideration that, in this case, 

 so much imagination has been let loose in conjecturing 

 what living type these flies might be the imitation of, 



