204 FISH CULTURE. 



minutes at a time. By hook or by crook, they 

 would manage to get upon some part of the bed, and 

 repeat the ripping-up and gorging process. For ten 

 days those twenty-five swans gorged themselves to 

 repletion, night and day, upon the spawning beds ; 

 and I believe they must have devoured in that time 

 a small barge-load of spawn. Two men, engaged 

 night and day, could hardly have kept them off the 

 bed. I pointed this out again and again to the 

 fishermen about there, but they seemed not to care 

 about it. How much longer these devouring brutes 

 stayed on the beds I know not, for I was obliged to 

 leave the place before they had finished their feast ; 

 but that almost the whole yearly produce of the 

 river for miles below was then and there devoured 

 by the swans, I have not a particle of doubt, as 

 there are no shallows fit for spawning for a con- 

 siderable distance below that spot. 



But to return to Pond-fish. Perch thrive fairly 

 in some ponds, but not in others, as they rapidly 

 get the muddy flavour so common to English pond- 

 fish. Many of the small lakes in . the south of 

 Scotland abound with them, and in some of the 

 lakes they seem to do well, often being taken of 

 three and four pounds in weight. Por marketable 

 and table purposes a perch of from half a pound 



