MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS 163 



pond was not content to chase the chub away 

 from their food, but would hustle them round 

 apparently out of pure devilment. 



" Every dog has his day," and I dealt with 

 that bullying rainbow by adding still another fish 

 to the pond — namely, a three-pound pike. The 

 effect was magical, and whenever the bullying 

 rainbow came across the pike he sank down and 

 lay still on the bottom of the pond. The pike 

 was not large enough to hurt the other fish, and 

 for a time comparative peace reigned in the 

 pond. 



Shortly before I was obliged to cease observa- 

 tions upon my ponds I had commenced to watch 

 the habits of swans and ducks with regard to 

 their influence on fish life. 



Swans certainly strip the spawn of coarse fish 

 and the ribbons of perch ova from submerged 

 roots and vegetation, but I have not myself come 

 across an instance of swans disturbing the buried 

 ova of trout, as they are stated to do. 



The scope of the non-diving ducks is so 

 limited that the harm they do must be negligible. 

 When, however, fish spawn is within the reach 

 of a surface-swimming duck it certainly clears 

 off every egg. 



