94 BRITISH SPORTING FISHES. 
secrets—the flowers, and birds, and insect-life of 
the rich river-banks. Here man never interferes; 
here everything is wild—wood and water, where 
everything flourishes, and the drought never comes. 
Rivers and streams are the chief arteries of the land, 
and yield to a host of field and woodland creatures 
the life-giving elements. The waters themselves 
teem with myriad life, and that of a higher 
organisation is everywhere along the banks. 
That the running brooks and still waters of 
this country still contain plenty of fish for the 
naturalist to base his experiments upon there can 
be no question; but as to how far these afford 
food for the people is a quite different matter. 
Those who know practically about the cultivation 
of fresh-water fishes, either in a wild or semi- 
wild state, know how much yet remains to be 
done—how there exists the terrible subject of 
pollution, upon which the law has but feebly laid 
its hand. The foulest pollution is yet carried 
on with impunity; and it would seem that, in 
spite of much half legislation, there is no power 
in the land to stop it. And what is the outcome 
of this? The fresh, bright streams have become 
in many places the swift scavengers of all that 
is foul and filthy. The once silvery foam of 
their waterfalls now comes down black as ink; 
life has gone from them, the flowers and trees 
