42 
KUllAL HOURS. 
can a dozen either ; we must expect cool weather yet. These 
little birds are in favor in tlie New York markets, after they liave 
fattened themselves upon the wliortleberries in the autumn ; for 
unlike their kindred tribes of the swallow and martin race, wlm 
live wholly, it is believed, on insects, tliese are berry-eaters also. 
They are said to be peculiar to this continent. 
Tuesday, 18 </i. — The fishing-lights enliven the lake now, of an 
evening, and they are often seen Avell into the night. They are 
spearing pickerel, a good fish, though inferior to some others in 
our lake. Formerly, there were no pickerel here, but some years 
since they were introduced from a smaller sheet of water, ten or 
twelve miles to the westward, and now they have become so abun- 
dant that they are tlie most common fish we have — taken at all 
seasons and in various ways. They are caught in summer, by 
“ trolling,” a long line being thrown out and drawn in from the 
stern by the fisherman, who stands, while an oarsman rows the 
boat quietly along ; during the warm Aveather, one may see at 
almost any hour of the morning or afternoon, some fishing skiff 
passing slowly to and fro in this way, one man at the oars, one at 
the line, trolling for pickerel. In the evening, they carry on the 
sport with lights in the bows of the boats, to attract the fish ; 
they are often speared in this Avay, and we have heard of their 
being shot with a pistol, Avhich seems what a sailor might call a 
“ lubberly” Avay of attacking fish — certainly, honest Jack would not 
have approved of this unfi.shermanlike proceeding. In the Avinter, 
the pickerel are also caught through holes cut here and there in 
the ice — lines Avith baited hooks being secured to the ice and left 
there — the fisherman returning from time to time to see Avhat suc- 
cess his snares have had. The boys call these contrivances “ tip- 
