genuity, and take advantage of all his experience, in counteracting the evil machinations of his enemies. I think I see him perched on the highest branch of a tree, watching every object around. He observes a man on horseback, traveling towards him; gun does the rider carry-no, that is clear; but perhaps he has pistols in the holsters of his saddle! of that the Crow is not quite sure, as he cannot either see them, or smell powder.' He beats the points of his wings, jerks his tail once or twice, bows his head, and merrily sounds the joy which he feels at the moment. Another man he spies walking across the field towards his stand, but he has only a stick.

he marks his movements in silence. No

Yonder comes a boy, shouldering a musket loaded with large shot, for the express purpose of killing Crows! The bird immediately sounds the alarm; he repeats his cries, increasing their vehemence the nearer his enemy advances-all the Crows, within half a mile round, are seen flying off, each repeating the well-known notes of the trusty watchman who, just as the young gunner is about to take aim, betakes himself to flight. But, alas! he chances, unwittingly, to pass over a sportsman, whose dexterity is greater; the mischievous prowler aims his piece, fires; down toward the earth, broken-winged, falls the luckless bird, in an instant. It is nothing but a Crow!' quoth the sportsman, who proceeds in search of game, and leaves the poor creature to die in the most excruciating agonies."

Sharp fellows they are, and hard to be fooled-those crows! We have often thought, that with his dark plumes and ready wit, he must be on the other side of Styx," the Plutonian Mercury. Some of the funniest things we have seen him do, that would have made the frosty, antique Zeno laugh like a Bacchanal. He is "exclusively up to snuff," in all his wiles and ways of this wicked world-catch a crow napping, or lure him within "point blank" if you can, unless you meanly take advantage of his passions or of his social feelings. We saw a vile, but comical trick practiced upon him once "out West."

A fellow had caught a large owl in a hollow tree. He took him out into an open field much frequented by crows, and tied him on the top of a low stake within gunshot of a stack, where he concealed himself. In a little while the crows, who are inveterate in their hatred of such twilight enemies, came thronging clamorously from all quarters about the owl, and commenced buffeting him heartily. The fellow shot and killed

several of them before they took warning in the blindness of their wrath; but just as they were commencing to sheer off, an accidental shot brought down one merely winged. He came out from his hiding-place and caught it, while the brawling flock scattered to a respectful distance. He then, in a singular whim, took the owl and pinned it with a piece of twine and pegs firmly to the earth on its back, and held the struggling crow within reach of its claws, when it was instantly griped with a death-hold. Such a rueful squalling as the poor wretch set up may be conceived by those who know the power of their lungs. The genius did not think it necessary to hide himself this time, but coolly stood off some thirty or forty paces to wait the result. The cries of their suffering brother brought not only every crow in the field around him at once to the rescue, but the deafening hurrah of their united voices spread the alarm far and wide, till the whole district was aroused, and in a little while the very sky was darkened with their black wings and ringing with their clamors. All the terrors of gunpowder were forgotten, and they were almost piled over the owl and his victim, screaming and battling for his release, regardless, in their valorous sympathy of the deadly hail which was crashing amongst them. With a relentless gusto, the fellow continued to play ramrod and trigger, until the ground was strewed like a battle-field with the dead or fluttering wounded. That " practical humorist” deserved to have been hung with his head down, till the buzzards picked his eyes out! This was worse than what Mr. Audubon indignantly terms "the base artifice of laying poisoned grain along the fields to tempt these poor birds!" Hear his merciful eloquence reason with bigotted ignorance in behalf of this sadly persecuted, but interesting and useful, bird:

"The Crow devours myriads of grubs every day of the year, that might lay waste the farmer's fields; it destroys quadrupeds innumerable, every one of which is an enemy to his poultry and his flocks. Why, then, should the farmer be so ungrateful,

when he sees such services rendered to

him by his providential friend, as to perse

cute that friend even to the death? Unless

he plead ignorance, surely he ought to be found guilty at the bar of common sense. Were the soil of the United States like that of some other countries, nearly exhausted

by long continued cultivation, human selfishness in such a matter might be excused, and our people might look on our Crows as other people look on theirs; but every individual in the land is aware of the superabundance of food that exists among us, and of which a portion may well be spared for the feathered beings that tend to enhance our pleasures, by the sweetness of their song--the innocence of their livesor their curious habits. Did not every American open his door and his heart to the wearied traveler, and afford him food, comfort and rest, I would at once give up the argument; but when I know by experience, the generosity of the people, I cannot but wish that they would reflect a little, and become more indulgent toward our poor, humble, harmless, and even most

serviceable bird--the Crow!"

A Crow-roost is one of the most singular places that ever mortal found himself in. Mr. Audubon speaks of their roosting by the "margins of ponds, lakes and rivers, upon the rank weeds or cat tails," but we met with them while hunting among the hills of the Green River country, Kentucky, roosting in a very different manner. We saw them streaming over our head, in great numbers, one evening, and hearing a most unusual noise in the direction they all seemed to pursue, our

curiosity induced us to follow on, and see what it meant. As we advanced, the sound grew in volume, until at last, as we rounded the abrupt angle of a hillside covered with a tall growth of young black oaks, it burst upon us with a commingled roar of barking notes and beating wings, that was positively stunning. All around, for the space of half an acre, the cracking trees were bent beneath multiplied thousands of Crows, shifting and flapping, with unceasing movement; every one screaming his vociferous caw in boisterous emulation. It resembled a Pigeon roost very closely, except that it was not so extensive or grand; and it differed, futhermore, in the fact, that by the time dark had set in, they were all quiet-sitting, black and still, in heaped cones, as they were defined against the dim sky; while in a Pigeon roost the heavy thundering of restless myriad wings continues to roll on, without interval, till just before day. This interesting fact, in relation to the habitudes of the Crow, seems not to have fallen within the wide range of Mr. Audubon's observationthough the discovery that the "Corvus Americanus" is not identical with the Carrion Crow of England, as it was supposed to be, is original with him.

As, greatly to the gratification of all pleasant minded men, the gentle season of fishing is at hand, we are moved in spirit to indite a few pages upon that quaint and good old man, who was styled by Langbaine the common father of all anglers.

Walton was born at Stafford, near London, in the year 1593, and a great portion of his life was spent in the latter city, where he followed the humble business of shopkeeper or sempster. He was a very dutiful son of the Church of England, and lived on terms of intimacy with the most gifted of churchmen, and poets of his age; and his Lives of Donne, Wotton, Hooker and Herbert, are among the gems of biographical literature. Of these productions it is not our purpose to speak; they merit the ap plause of abler pens, and they do not throw as much light upon the character of their author, as does the most unique, but least read of his works-the Complete Angler, on which we would now proceed to write a loving commentary, with ample quotations, and kindred observations, for the benefit of such as are fond of angling, and cannot gain access to the volume itself, which is very rare.

The Complete Angler, or Contemplative Man's Recreation, was first published in 1653, illustrated with beautiful engravings by Lombart. It was the first systematic treatise on Angling, and with the second part added to it by Cotton, is yet without an equal in any of the modern languages, whether we consider the elegant simplicity of its style, the ease and unaffected humor of the dialogue, the lovely scenes which it delineates, the enchanting pastoral poetry it contains, or the fine morality it so sweetly inculcates. The motto to the first edition was as follows, from the Bible" Simon Peter said, I go a fishing; and they said, We also will go with thee;" but in the

The skeleton upon which the Complete Angler is built, is that of familiar dialogue, and the principal characters are Piscator, an angler, Venator, a hunter, and Auceps, a falconer. They are introduced to us on a quiet country road, in the county of Hertford, on a fine fresh May morning. They happen to be walking the same way and for some distance, and the natural consequence is, they become acquainted with each other, and fall into a conversation on their respective recreations. It is agreed that each one shall make a defence of his own, and after Venator and Auceps are done, Piscator commences in the following strain:

"Gentlemen, let not prejudice prepos sess you. I confess my discourse is like to prove suitable to my recreation—calm and quiet. We seldom take the name of God into our mouths, but it is either to praise him, or pray to him; if others use it vainly in the midst of their recreations, so vainly as if they meant to conjure, I must tell you it is neither our fault nor our custom; we protest against it. But, pray remember, I accuse nobody; for as I would not make a watery discourse, so 1 would not put too much vinegar into it; nor would I raise the reputation of my own art by the diminution or ruin of another's. And so much for the prologue of what I mean to say."

From this paragraph we perceive that Walton was a lover of philosophic ease,

opposed to the mean and ungentlemanly habit of using profane language, and in the most liberal sense of the term, a charitable man. Of itself alone, it is enough to refute the contemptible libel of Byron, who, for his own credit, ought to have been the very last man to accuse another of unworthy conduct. But to continue with our author.

"And now for the water, the element that I trade in. The water is the eldest daughter of creation, the element upon which the Spirit of God did first move, the element which God commanded to bring forth living creatures abundantly; and without which those that inhabit the land, even all creatures that have breath in their nostrils, must suddenly return to putrefaction. Moses, the great lawgiver and chief philosopher, skilled in all the learning of the Egyptians, who was called the friend of God, and knew the mind of the Almighty, names this element the first in the creation; it is the chief ingredient in the creation; many philosophers have made it to comprehend all the other elements, and most allow it the chiefest in the mixtion of all living

creatures."

He continues in this quaint mannernow asserting that water is more productive than the earth, for the latter hath no fruitfulness without showers and dews; now telling us that Moses appointed fish to be the chief diet "for the best commonwealth that ever yet was ;" and that the Romans, in the height of their glory, made sturgeons, lampreys and mullets, the mistresses of their entertainments; now, that Almighty God is said to have spoken to a fish, but never to a beast; and that he hath made a whale a ship, to carry and set his prophet Jonah safe on the appointed shore. At this point of the discourse, Auceps finds it necessary to take his leave, while the other two continue on. Venator becomes greatly interested in the conversation of his companion, and after he is requested to do so, Piscator promises to tell him, "not only of the antiquity of angling, but that it deserves commendations; and that it is an art, and an art worthy of the knowledge and practice of a wise man." From this time to the close of the chapter, Piscator has nearly all the talking to himself, and as it is without much method, and an interesting portion of the book, we think it will very well answer for us to cull therefrom the following passages,

which are but average specimens of the whole chapter.

How beautifully he speaks of the qualifications of his art. "Angling," saith he, "is somewhat like poetrymen are to be born so; I mean with inclinations to it, though both may be heightened by discourse and practice; but he that hopes to be a good angler, must not only bring an inquiring, searching, observing wit, but he must bring a large measure of hope and patience, and a love and propensity to the art itself; but having once got and practised it, then doubt not but angling will prove to be so pleasant-that it will prove to be, like virtue, a reward to itself."

"As,

After showing its antiquity, and telling us that there were anglers in the times of the prophets Amos and Job, he enters upon the subject of rivers, where he speaks of some of the wonders reported of them-which are unquestionably fabulous. The following passage gives us an idea of his own credulity, and through him, of the age in which he lived. namely, of a river in Epirus, that puts out any lighted torch, and kindles any torch that was not lighted. Some waters, being drunk, cause madness, some drunkenness, and some, laughter to death. The river Selarus in a few hours turns a rod, or wand, to stone! and our Camden mentions the like in England and Ireland. There is also a river in Arabia, of which all the sheep that drink thereof have their wool turned into a vermilion color. And one of no less credit than Aristotle, tells us of a merry river, the Elusina, that dances at the noise of music; for with music it bubbles, dances and grows sandy, and so continues till the music ceases; but then it presently returns to its wonted calmness and clearness. And Camden tells us of a well in Westmoreland, that ebbs and flows several times every day; and also of a river in Surrey, that after it has run several miles, being opposed by hills, makes itself a way under ground, and breaks out again so far off, that the inhabitants thereabout boast, as the Spaniards do of their river Anus, that they feed divers flocks of sheep upon a bridge. And lastly, for I would not tire your patience, one of no less authority than Josephus, that learned Jew, tells us of a river in Judea, that runs swiftly all the six days of the week, and stands still and rests all their Sabbath."

Following this queer medley, are seve

ral pages of "fish stories," still more queer, which purport to be testified by Aristotle, Pliny, Gesner, and other old geniuses, which our author looks upon as fit for the contemplation of the "most pious man." And then, in proof of the respectability of his vocation, he tells us, "that when our blessed Saviour went up into the Mount, when he left the rest of his disciples, and chose only three to bear him company at his Transfiguration, that these were all fishermen. And it is to be believed, that all the other apostles, after they betook themselves to follow Christ, betook themselves to be fishermen too; for it is certain that the greater number of them were found together, fishing, by Jesus, after his resurrection." He also tells us, " that the prophets Moses and Amos were both anglers, as any one might know, from the peculiar style of their writings." Now, these and the like assertions are more amusing than true, which indeed is a criticism applicable to a great proportion of the complete angler. But it is not on that account a less readable book. Besides, there is a deal of truth inculcated, in his rambling quaint way, throughout the work. An occasional gleam of a philippic, like the following, shines in-possessing decidedly more truth than they receive obedience: The taking of fish in spawning time," he exclaims," may be said to be against nature; it is like the taking the dam on the nest when she hatches her young-a sin so against nature that Almighty God hath made a law against it." So is the following a very sufficient reason for disliking a man: "Most of his conceits were either Scripture jests, or lascivious jests, for which I count no man witty; for the devil will help a man, that way inclined, to the first; and his own corrupt nature, which he always carries with him, to the latter." If only the truths herein inculcated were to influence the conduct of all men, doubtless the world were better off. On commencing the second chapter of the Complete Angler, we find that Venator has been induced to spend a few days with Piscator as his pupil. During this excursion, they have rare sport, and Walton reveals his stock of information respecting fish and fishing, which is contained in the twenty following chapters. Nearly all the varieties of fish which he introduces are found in the waters of the United States; but those which are the most valuable, and afford the angler the most sport, are the trout, the pike, and the perch. Of these it is our purpose

to let Walton speak, to whose observations we will add a few of our own, respecting the same kinds of fish, which it has often been our own privilege to capture. Of the trout, Walton thus writes, whom we quote in detached passages:

"The Trout is a fish highly valued, both in this and foreign nations. He may be justly said, as the old poet said of wine, and we English say of venison, to be a generous fish; a fish that is so like the Buck that he also has his seasons; for it is observed, that he comes in and goes out of season with the Stag and Buck. Gesner says his name is of a German offspring; and says he is a fish that feeds clean and purely in the swiftest streams, and on the hardest gravel; and that he may justly contend with all freshwater fish, as the Mullet may with all sea-1 a-fish, for precedency and daintiness of taste; and that being in right season, the most dainty palates have allowed precedency to him." "Next, that the Trout usually spawns about October or November, but in some rivers a little sooner or later; which is the more observable, because most other fish spawn in the Spring and Summer, when the sun hath warmed both the earth and water, and made it fit for generation." "The Trout is usually caught with a worm, or a minnow, or with a fly." "And before you begin to angle for him, cast to have the wind on your back, and the sun, if it shines, to be before you; and to fish down the stream; and carry the point or top of your rod downward, by which means the shadow of yourself and rod too, will be least offensive to the fish; for the sight of any shade amazes the fish, and spoils your sport, of which you must take a great care." "In the middle of March, till which time a man should not in honesty catch a Trout, or in April, if the weather be dark, or a little windy or cloudy, the best fishing is with the Palmer worms; these and the May-fly are the ground of all fly angling." "You are to notice, that of the wind, the south wind is said to be the best. One observes that—

when the wind is south It blows your bait into a fish's mouth.

Next to that, the west wind is believed to be the best; and having told you that the east wind is the worst, I need not tell you which is the best in the third degree; and yet, (as Solomon observes,) that "he that considers the wind shall never sow;" so he that busies his head too much about