Conditions which Govebn Biting of Fish. 337 



Every black bass angler has seen — where the water was 

 clear enough for observation ■ — the bass seize his minnow 

 through seemingly mere caprice, and, instead of attempting 

 to gorge it, would take it gingerly by the tail, toy with it, 

 and finally eject it, or spit it out, as it were ; and this would, 

 be repeated several times in succession, or until the an- 

 gler's patience became exhausted, when, while un jointing 

 his rod, he would muse upon the waywardness of fish in 

 general, and would be convinced that Solomon never went 

 a-fishing, or he would have added another item to the 

 four things too wonderful for his ken, or at least have sub- 

 stituted " the way of a fish with a bait," for the less puz- 

 zling proposition of " the way of a man with a maid." 



