10 J) TUB COMPLETE ANGLER. [l-AHT I. 



forbear, aud assured them, ho was certain that pikes were 

 often so served.'" 



I told this, which is to be read in the sixth chapter of the 

 first book of Dubravius, unto a friend, who replied, " It \\.MS 

 as improbable as to have the mouse scratch out the cat's eyes." 

 l>ut he did not eonsider, that there he lishing-frogs, \\hieh 

 the Dalmatians call the water-devil, of which I might tell 

 you as wonderful a story : but I shall tell you, that 'tis not 

 to bo doubted, but that there be some frogs so fearful of the 

 \\ater-snake, that, when they swim in a place in which they 

 fear to meet with him, they then get a reed across into their 

 months; \\hieh, if they two meet by accident, secures the 

 frog from the strength and malice of the snake ; and note, 

 that the frog, usually, swims the fastest of the two. 



And let me tell you, that 

 as there be water and land- 

 frogs, so there be land and 

 water - snakes. 3 Concerning 

 which, take this observation, 

 that the land-snake, breeds and 

 hatches her eggs which be- 

 come young snakes in some old dunghill, or a like hot 

 Elace : but the water-snake, which is not venomous, and as 

 have been assured by a, great observer of sneh secrets, 

 does not hatch but breed her young alive ; which she does 

 not then forsake, but bides with them ; and in case of 

 danger, will take them all into her mouth, and suim a\\a\ 



1 Mr. IVnnant, in his "Zoology," 4to, Lond. 1766, vol. iv. p. 10, has 

 the following remark on this passage of the "Complete Angler :"- 



" As frogs adhere closely to the backs of their own species, so we know 

 they will do the same by fish. Walton mentions a strange story of their 

 destroying Pike ; but that they will injure, if not entirely kill carp, is a 

 fact iinlisi.ntal.lt- from tin- following relation : A very 1'i-w years ago, on 

 fishing a pond belonging to Mr. Pitt, of Enoombe, Dorsetshire, great 

 numbers of the Carp were found each with a frog mounted on it, the hind 

 legs clinging to the back, the fore-legs fixed in the corner of each eye of the 

 lisli. wliu-h were thin and greatly wasted, toa/.ed l-y earrying so disagreeable 

 a load. These frogs we imagine to have been males disappointed of a 

 mate." SIR H. ELLIS. See more on this subject at p. 210. 



This is erroneous. Hut the common English snake frequently takes to 

 llu- water, and th.-\ IIMM- IMVII soon swimming LeUeen the Hampshire .vast 

 and the IsK- of \Vi-ht, \\hieh may ha\o iun rise to an idea of a water- 

 snake. ED. 



