A Fish Story. 263 



They were his guides into the forests. Here a 

 mole burrowing, a toad buried alive, or the gyra- 

 tions of an insect a wild flower or even a blade of 

 grass, furnished varied subjects for instruction and 

 entertainment. 



The} 7 showed him the nests with young birds, 

 that they had discovered, and he taught them to 

 distinguish the bird by its note for, to his prac- 

 tised ear, the note of every Southern bird was as 

 the voice of a friend. When in Europe, he is said to 

 have made a wager (figuratively) with an English 

 scientist, that in a week he could become familiar 

 with every bird he met with, and tell its name by 

 its note and he did it. 



He knew, too, the names of all the finny inhab- 

 itants of the salt and fresh waters in the neighbor- 

 hood of Charleston. 



He was a successful angler, though he would often 

 ,say, that to wait hours for a bite, was too lazy a sport 

 for him. Yet, when the fishermen at the seaside 

 would draw in their net, he was seen watching for 

 the haul in a state of expectancy and excitement, 

 that would have delighted old Isaac Walton. 



His boys drew from him all his best fish stories, 

 and took a lively interest in every incident of a deer 

 hunt. Many of these have been preserved. 



A Fish Story. 



Dr. Bachman was on a visit to the country home 

 of a friend living near Charleston; his host was 

 called away to the city, and he concluded to go fish- 



