ON THE FOOD OF FISH. 119 



a single fish, though there were times and days, if 

 the angler chanced to hit upon them, when very 

 good fishing might be had, and when the lake ap- 

 peared alive with fish. I fished the pool, however, 

 and had the good fortune, by sinking the fly, to take 

 one of the trout, a strong well-shaped fish, though 

 somewhat dark in colour, and of two pounds' weight. 

 We also caught specimens of the fish in the other 

 lakes, and the difference between the fish I have 

 already mentioned. While fishing the small lake I 

 accidentally allowed my fly to sink to the bottom^ 

 and on pulling it up again with some difficulty I 

 brought up a large piece of a thick moss-Hke green 

 weed, with which the bottom of the pool appeared 

 to abound. On examining this weed more closely 

 I found it swarming with a variety of insects, chiefly* 

 water-snails, the smaU. Crustacea that inhabit fresh 

 water, and large quantities of the caddis of some 

 considerable fly. The abundance of food thus found 

 at the bottom of the lake fuUy accounted not only 

 for the large size and good condition of the fish, but 

 also for its being a sulky lake, or for the trout not 

 paying much attention to the flies upon: the surface 

 of the water. For they had no difiBculty in pro- 

 curing any quantity of food they needed at the 

 bottom, without swimming hither and thither to 



