thousands at a time, in hollow trees, or clay caves; where they have been obferved to live and fleep out the whole winter without meat; and fo Albertus * obferves, that there is one kind of frog that hath her mouth See Topfel of naturally fhut up about the end Frogs. of Auguft, and that the lives fo all the winter and though it be strange to fome, yet it is known to too many among us to be doubted †.

And fo much for thefe Fordidge Trouts,. which never afford an angler fport, but either live their time of being in the fresh water, by their meat formerly gotten in the fea, not unlike the swallow or frog, or by the virtue of the fresh water only; or as the bird of Paradife, and the camelion are faid to live by the fun and the air.

There is alfo in Northumberland a Trout called a Bull-trout, of a much greater length and bignefs than any in thefe fouthern parts: and there are in many rivers that relate to the fea, Salmontrouts, as much different from others, both in fhape and in their spots, as we see sheep in fome countries differ one from another in their shape and bignefs, and in the fineness of their wool: and certainly, as fome paftures breed larger sheep, fo do some rivers, by reason of the ground over which they run, breed larger Trouts.

Albertus Magnus, a German Dominican, and a very learned man: Urban IV. compelled him to accept of the bifhoprick of Ratisbon. He wrote a treatife on the fecrets of nature, and twenty other volumes in folio; and died at Cologne 1280.

+ See Chap. viii.

Now

Now the next thing that I will commend to your confideration is, that the Trout is of a more fudden growth than other fish: concerning which you are also to take notice, that he lives not fo long as the Pearch and divers other fishes do, as Sir Francis Bacon hath observed in his history of life and death.

And next you are to take notice, that he is not like the Crocodile, which if he lives never fo long, yet always thrives till his death: but it is not fo with the Trout; for after he is come to his full growth, he declines in his body, and keeps his bignefs, or thrives only in his head till his death. And you are to know, that he will, efpecially before the time of his spawning, get almost miraculously through weirs and flood-gates against the ftreams, even through fuch high and fwift places as is almoft incredible. Next, that the Trout ufually fpawns about October or November, but in fome rivers a little fooner or later: which is the more obfervable, because most other fish spawn in the fpring or fummer, when the fun hath warmed both the earth and water, and made it fit for generation. And you are to note, that he continues many months out of feafon for it may be observed of the Trout, that he is like the buck or the ox, that will not be fat in many months, though he go in the very fame pafture that horfes do, which will be fat in one month; and fo you may observe, that most other fishes recover ftrength, and grow fooner fat and in feafon than the Trout doth.

And next you are to note, that till the fun gets to fuch a height as to warm the earth and F 3

the

the water, the Trout is fick and lean, and loufy, and unwholsome: for you shall in winter find him to have a big head, and then to be lank, and thin, and lean; at which time many of them have sticking on them fugs, or Trout-lice, which is a kind of a worm, in shape like a clove or pin with a big head, and fticks close to him, and fucks his moisture; those, I think, the Trout breeds himself, and never thrives till he free himself from them, which is when warm weather comes; and then, as he grows stronger, he gets from the dead ftill water, into the fharp ftreams, and the gravel, and there rubs off these worms or lice; and then, as he grows ftronger, fo he gets him into swifter and swifter ftreams, and there lies at the watch for any fly or minnow that comes near to him; and he especially loves the May-fly, which is bred of the cod-worm, or cadis, and these make the Trout bold and lufty; and he is ufually fatter and better meat at the end of that month, than at any time of the year.

Now you are to know, that it is observed, that usually the best Trouts are either red or yellow; though fome, as the Fordidge Trout, be white and yet good; but that is not ufual: and

*This is thought to be a mistake, and that the codworm, or cadis, produces a very different fly, called the cadis-fly, which is thus defcribed: It is a large yellow fly; has four pale yellow wings all of one colour; his body is of a pale yellow, ribbed with a dark brown. But the Mayfly, which I could never understand to be any other than the green-drake, is inclofed, when in embryo, in a longer and much fmaller husk than the cadis-fly above-mentioned. See the Art of Angling and Complete Fly-Fisher, by Richard Bowlker, printed at Worcester, in 12m0.

it is a note obfervable, that the female Trout hath usually a lefs head, and a deeper body than the male Trout, and is ufually the better meat: and note, that a hog-back, and a little head to either Trout, Salmon, or any other fish, is a fign that that fish is in feason.

But yet you are to note, that as you see some willows or palm-trees bud and bloffom fooner than others do, so fome Trouts be in rivers fooner in feason and as fome hollies or oaks are longer before they caft their leaves, fo are some Trouts in rivers longer before they go out of season.

And you are to note, that there are feveral kinds of Trouts, but these feveral kinds are not confidered but by very few men, for they go under the general name of Trouts: juft as pigeons do in most places; though it is certain, there are tame and wild pigeons: and of the tame, there be helmits and runts, and carriers and cropers, and indeed too many to name. Nay, the Royal Society have found and published lately, that there be thirty-three kinds of fpiders: and yet all, for aught I know, go under that one general name of fpider. And it is fo with many kinds of fish, and of Trouts especially, which differ in their bigness and shape, and fpots and colour. The great Kentish hens may be an inftance compared to other hens; and doubtlefs there is a kind of fmall Trout, which will never thrive to be big, that breeds very many more than others do, that be of a larger fize; which you may rather believe, if you confider, that the little wren and titmouse will have twenty young ones at a time, when usually the noble hawk, or the musical thraffel or blackbird, exceed not four or five.

And now you fhall fee me try my fkill to catch a Trout; and at my next walking, either this evening, or to-morrow morning, I will give you direction how you yourself fhall fish for him.

Ven. Trust me, mafter, I fee now it is a harder matter to catch a Trout than a Chub: for I have put on patience, and followed you thefe two hours, and not feen a fish ftir, neither at your minnow nor your worm.

Pifc. Well, fcholar, you must endure worse luck fometime, or you will never make a good angler. But what fay you now? there is a Trout now, and a good one too, if I can but hold him, and two or three turns more will tire him now you fee he lies ftill, and the fleight is to land him: reach me that landing-net: so, Sir, now he is mine own, what fay you now, is not this worth all my labour and your patience?

Ven. On my word, mafter, this is a gallant Trout, what fhall we do with him?

Pifc. Marry, e'en eat him for fupper: we'll go to my hoftefs from whence we came; fhe told me, as I was going out of door, that my brother Peter, a good angler and a chearful companion, had fent word he would lodge there to night, and bring a friend with him. My hoftefs has two beds, and I know you and I may have the beft: we'll rejoice with my bro, ther Peter and his friend, tell tales, or fing ballads, or make a catch, or find fome harmless fport to content us, and pafs away a little time. without offence to God or man.

Ven. A match, good mafter, let's go to that houfe, for the linen looks white, and fmells of