80 FISH CULTURAL ASSOCIATION. 
seen one of the same variety killed and opened that had three 
trout in his stomach. A gentleman told me this spring, ‘that 
last summer he was passing near a pond which contained brook 
trout, and he saw a snake glide down the bank into the water, 
and as the water was clear he watched him. He went into some 
moss that was on the bottom of the pond. Entering the moss 
from below, soon he saw his head appear in the top of the 
bunch of moss, and then, for the first time, he noticed a small 
trout, about four inches long, that was almost over the snake’s 
head. After slowly drawing his head out a little he-made a dart 
for the fish and caught him; then came out on the bank. The 
only method I have found for their destruction is to kill them 
whenever they come in your path. Inthe months of May and 
June they may be found along the banks of streams or ponds 
sunning themselves, when a charge of No. 6 or 8 shot will put 
them on the retired list. 
Last, but not least, | have the one coming more directly under 
the title of my paper, man. He knows better, but I am sorry to 
say that he steps over the mark very often, and in many cases 
proves the most troublesome of all, often deserving a charge of 
fine shot. If you commence an action against him, many (I am 
very sorry to say it) of our justices only wink at the offender, 
and he goes free. We know of the justice himself going on a 
private and posted stream, knowing it to be so, and afterwards 
telling of the good luck he had. A certain class of our people 
regard it*as a smart thing to take trout from your pond or stream 
without being caught. But if any one should steal a chicken 
from them they say, “Oh that’s a different thing.” Ihave caught 
boys and men on my stream and a sign prohibiting fishing within 
ten feet of it. I have spoken to the boys’ fathers and had each 
one make good promises that they would see to it that their boy 
never was there again, but when your back was turned laugh at 
you, and make brags to their neighbors of what a good mess of 
trout his boy caught. I think it will be a long time before all of 
our people get educated up to the point that they see the stealing 
of a few trout a sin. 
I think some good would be accomplished if every sportsman 
and member of sporting clubs throughout the country would see 
