I found him seated on a bench, before the door, smoking his pipe in the evening sunshine; he had been angling all day, and gave me the history of his sport, being particularly animated about taking a large trout. His family consisted of a large black cat, with one eye, and a parrot, which he had caught in one of his voyages, and educated himself.

Washington Irving's Sketch Book.

ANECDOTES OF FISHES AND

FISHING.

BEFORE I proceed to the Anecdotes of Fish, I shall quote, from the Supplement to Daniel's Rural Sports, a most useful hint to persons engaged in angling, who may not be adepts in swimming. Editor.

"An accidental fall into water may be most dangerous to those ignorant of the art of swimming. By observing the directions here given, a person may save himself from drowning: if he falls into deep water, he will rise to the surface by floatage, and will continue there, if he does not elevate his hands; and the keeping them down is essential to his safety. If he moves his hands under the water, in any way he pleases, his head will rise so high as to allow him free liberty to breathe; and if in addition he moves his legs, exactly as in the action of walking up stairs, his shoulders will rise above the water, so that he may use less exertion with his hands, or apply them to other purposes."

The salmon delights in the most rapid streams, with gravelly bottoms; he is justly termed by some anglers the king of fresh-water fish. When hooked, he requires to be gently treated, as Sir Walter Scott says, by giving him line, but not too freely; in which case you are sure of your fish. The salmon tribe becomes at one period of the year a river, and at another a sea fish. The salmon leaves the sea for the rivers in the summer or autumn, according to the heat of the season, and surmounts most surprising obstacles to attain its object; having fulfilled which, equal anxiety is displayed to return to the sea. The flies for salmon should be made gaudy and large; this fish is particularly fond of the horse-leech fly. In imitating this fly, behind each wing whip the body of the fly with gold or silver twist. Editor.

Salmon Leaps.-Professor Agassiz observes: The caudal, or tail fin, is attached to a very fleshy root, and is moved by powerful muscles. This elastic fin to these fish is a most powerful lever;

when wishing to leap so great a height, they strike the surface of the water with a kind of double stroke; by this means they overcome obstacles which appear insurmountable. One cause of the salmon's return to fresh water is from a parasitic insect, called lernæa salmonea, which adheres to their scales, and appears to cause an intolerable irritation. This species of louse dies soon after the salmon has been two or three days in fresh water. Angler in Ireland.

The salmon fisheries are constant and copiou sources of human food. They rank next to agriculture. Their increase does not lessen other articles of human sustenance. Marshal.

The salmon fisheries of Scotland were of great value, but they have for the last twelve or fifteen years decreased. They were, however, let to tenants, and much over-fished; so much so, that the late Duke of Sutherland took them into his own possession, built extensive curing-houses, preserved the rivers during close time, and so regulated the fishing that free access was given to the heavy or breeding-fish, and the kelts, or spawned fish, were allowed to return unmolested to the sea. The consequence of this good management is, that in some rivers the produce has been doubled. It is a mistaken opinion that the spawning season is only between October and

February; in many rivers it would commence in August, if the grounds and entrances were left unmolested. In Sweden the salmon spawn in the middle of summer. The seasons also have much influence. In the North of Scotland, the common earth-worm are a deadly bait for a clean salmon; sand eels are also used for baits; and in the Transactions of the Royal Edinburgh Society, the food of salmon has been examined from their stomachs, when taken from the sea, and said to contain small monoculi, and entomostraced with the ova of starfish. Common salmon are said to feed on small fish, and various small marine animals.-Sir William Jardine on the Common Salmon, Edin. New Phil. Journal.

Angling for Salmon is not more a masculine than a delightful sport, and is pursued with ardour and success in the northern rivers of our island. Some very spirited and lively sketches on this subject are to be seen in Blackwood's Magazine, No. 208-209, 1833. Whilst fishing in Loch Awe, amongst other sport, is mentioned, catching a salmon of twenty-eight pound weight. Awe seems to be a delightful place, and good accommodation there for brothers of the angle. The disciple of Walton who has once indulged in salmon fishing, will feel little satisfaction in the more common pursuits and lesser pleasures of the gentle art. But it requires an expert practitioner

Loch