Essays in Natural History and Agriculture eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 232 pages of information about Essays in Natural History and Agriculture.

Essays in Natural History and Agriculture eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 232 pages of information about Essays in Natural History and Agriculture.
as the marriage of the gentleman in the story, which relates that, being good-tempered but ugly himself, he married a handsome ill-tempered wife, hoping that his children would have his good-temper and their mother’s good looks; but when they came, they were as ugly as the father and as ill-tempered as the mother.  So it may prove with these hybrids—­they may not always thrive in fresh water; they may not grow to a good size; they may not rise at the artificial fly; they may be worthless for the table.  Nevertheless, it is desirable if possible that this should be ascertained.  The progeny of a male Salmon and a female Trout may be much better or much worse fitted for a continual residence in fresh water than the descendants of a male Trout and a female Salmon; but this can only be determined by experiment.  Dr. Lindley says, in his introduction to the “Guide to the Orchard,” that in the cross fertilization of fruits, the seedlings always partake more of the character of the male than of the female parent.  But I believe that in breeding mules it is found more desirable that the father should be an ass than a horse.  In my poultry yard I breed hybrids between the musk duck and the common duck, and I find that I have a much better progeny from the musk drake and the common duck than from the common drake and the musk duck.  In the latter cross, although the males are fine birds, the females are not larger than a widgeon, and fly about almost like wild ducks.  This may not always be the case, but it has proved so with me.

But to return to the fish.  If any gentleman who is interested in such matters will do me the honour to read this paper, and wishes for further information on the subject, I shall be happy to give it, so far as I am able.  Very sure I am that the sportsman who once fairly starts as a fly-fisher, and is so fortunate as to hook a Salmon or a large Trout, will thenceforward despise or lightly esteem corks and floats, ground-bait and trimmers, punts and Perch fishing, and will fairly wish them all exchanged for a nice stream well stocked with Trout—­as a gentleman lately said to me, fly-fishing is a perfect infatuation!  He was quite right.  The extreme avidity with which it is followed by the thoroughly initiated, can only be explained on that supposition; to the casual observer, there does not appear to be any strong excitement in it.  But that is a great mistake.  Let me get to the bank of a river well stocked with Trout in a good humour, early in the morning, and I feel neither hunger, thirst, nor fatigue if I fish until dark without tasting of anything.  And the excitement of hooking a ten or twelve pound Salmon is not much inferior to that produced by a long run after the hounds.

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Essays in Natural History and Agriculture from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.