88 THE GAMEKEEPER AT HOME. 



which were put back again. But although the brook, so 

 far as his jurisdiction goes, has since been comparatively 

 well preserved, yet he feels certain the fish have diminished! 



There are no chemical works to account for this with 

 the subtle poison of their waste, neither are there mills to 

 prevent the fish coming up — perhaps it would be better 

 if there were some mills, as they would stop the fish going 

 down. I have noticed that where old water-wheels have 

 ceased working the fish have almost disappeared. This, 

 of course, may be but a purely local phenomenon, but it 

 is certainly the case in some districts. Comparatively 

 little wheat now is ground in rural places ; the greater 

 portion is carried away to the towns and turned into flour 

 by steam. So that in walking up a brook you will now 

 and then come upon an ancient mill whose business has 

 departed : the fabric itself is tenanted by two or three 

 cottage families, and their garden covers the site of the 

 old mill-pond. In the depths of that pool there were 

 formerly plenty of fish, with deep dark spots in which to 

 hide. Their natural increase was not swept away by 

 floods ; neither could they wander, because of the dam 

 and grating. They were also under the eye of the miller, 

 and so preserved. But when the dam was levelled and 

 the stream allowed to follow its course, this resting-place, 

 so to say, was abolished, and the fish dispersed were lost 

 or captured. 



Upon the particular brook which I have now in view 



