INTRODUCTION. 9 



danger, and there is not a moment when they are 

 not surrounded by mortal enemies. 



Frogs, lizards, land and water snakes, water-beetles, 

 the caddis-worms, land-rats and water-rats, mice, 

 minks, weasels, kingfishers, herons of several kinds, and 

 even cats, are on the alert for them all the time, and, 

 after they have once found them, will visit them every 

 day or night as long as they last. The unprotected 

 trout are like a flock of sheep in the haunts of pan- 

 thers and wolves on the Rocky Mountains, and have 

 about as much chance of surviving. 



Their danger is incessant. It is not once a week 

 or once a month that their enemies come for them, 

 but every day and every night of their lives, if they 

 are unprotected ; and every week the number of crea- 

 tures that feed on them will increase. It is surprising 

 how fast kingfishers, herons, frogs, and snakes will 

 multiply around a well-filled and unprotected trout 

 pond. Furthermore, there is the constant danger 

 from the water itself which sustains them, either of 

 its overflowing, or running short, or of getting too 

 warm, or becoming unwholesome, all which accidents 

 are likely to happen and to be attended with fatal re- 

 sults. The constant presence of these dangers ren- 

 ders it doubly important to make security your first 

 thought in raising trout. 



4. This is not all ; the sources of danger to which 

 your fish are exposed are of the invisible, intangible 

 kind, that keep out of your sight and out of your 

 reach, and for that very reason security becomes ten- 

 fold more needful. Many of their dangers come when 



