needle, to the middle of which they attach a short whipcord line, tying the same to a stout rod. They then spit a large worm lengthwise on the needle, and, with the aid of the rod, contrive to introduce the bait into the holes where eels are supposed to lie concealed. As soon as the sniggler finds, while in the act of his gently inclining the line towards him, a sensible resistance to the operation of his hand, he tugs away without shewing any mercy; and, as the needle becomes crossed in the esophagus of the fish, there is no possible chance of its disengaging itself. Some very fine eels have been captured after this manner.

During the present month, the salmon-trout forces its way up our creeks into the fresh water rivers, to cast its spawn, These highlyprized fish run, in general, from one to four pounds in weight. I have caught them upon various occasions with a fly; the red palmer I have proved more successful with than any other, although, towards dusk, the large brown moth will tempt them to rise readily: I never heard of an instance where the salmon-trout was hooked in the salt water by any bait whatever although I have observed them leaping out of the tide close to me, yet I never succeeded in capturing one of these fish with shrimp or worm.

The season for whiting fishing commences somewhat later in the year; this forms an entertaining pastime to those who can brook a swell or a squall among the billows. From the commencement to the finish of the flood-tide, in from six to eight fathoms of water, the Solent presents numerous spots favourable to this class of sport. The system pursued is for a person to anchor his boat off any of the whiting grounds, well supplied with a pot full of lug-worms. His whipcord line is fastened to the middle of a stiff piece of whalebone, about a foot long. From the extremities of this foot rod two hooks are suspended by two separate pieces of cord corresponding with the line, which is leaded, and the other portion of the same is securely fastened to the side of the boat. When the hooks are baited, the same are suffered to descend into the water until they fathom the bottom, the line being held in the hand. The angler can perceptibly detect the twitch of the fish when he hauls up his line, and generally succeeds in securing a couple of whiting at each haul. When the fish bite freely this sport is of a very stirring character, for a person can hardly find time to restore his baits before he has to take, in rapid succession, a brace of whiting off his hooks. By the way, it may not be inopportune to observe that no one should repair on a whiting-fishing excursion without being provided with a pocket knife, for it often happens that the anchor of the boat is apt to get foul of rocks beneath, and if there should prove any shortness in the "painter rope," so as not to admit of it rising with the tide, unless the same is cast, with a view to release the boat from its fixed position, the latter would necessarily go down by the head and be swamped, to the almost certain destruction of the inmates. The writer was once placed in such a perilous situation.

A concluding remark may perhaps suffice. Let a southerly or southwesterly wind be always selected for a day's whiting-fishing. I have toiled all day whilst an easterly wind has been blowing, and have not succeeded in taking so much as one single fish.

During the three following months, a vast fund of healthy amusement will be open to the general fisherman in the locality I have adverted to; and

should he occasionally prove desirous of varying his course of sport, he will find three fresh-water streams in the neighbourhood, which are well stocked with trout, eel, mullet, dace, and other fish. He can commence his sport from any desirable spot in the New Forest, and pursue his course downward towards the termination of the several streams as they communicate with the Solent. The rivulets, in many places, will be found to intersect woods and meadows, where the waters are encompassed by sturdy hedgerows, I have taken some prodigiously fine trout from these secluded spots, exceeding, in some instances, four pounds in weight; but recourse must be had to the practice of dibbing in such cases. A grasshopper, during June and July, will be greedily taken by trout in the neighbourhood I have been treating of, or the common fly (musca putris) will answer the same end. There will be experienced little or no interruption by anglers who may frequent the sylvan waters of the forest, and their health will be improved, whilst this favourite pastime will prove of an unfailing character.

May 26, 1856,

D. G.

THE FORESTER'S FREIGHT.

ENGRAVED BY W. BACKSHELL, FROM A PAINTING BY A. COOPER, R.A.

"The smile of joy danced on every countenance, but chiefly on thine, O Lightfoot! The warm current came tingling through your veins. There was a buoyancy of spirit and an air of success about you, that proclaimed you, to yourself at least, a king-a hero-a demigod! Hercules was a pretty fellow; so was Theseus; so was Pirithous but although they subdued various monsters, they probably never killed so fine a stag in all their lives. Happy, thricehappy mortal! Happier far than Candide, when he met Miss Cunegonde amongst the Turks, or (to make a more apt comparison) than our own Phidias-one Chantrey-when he killed two woodcocks at one shot! Thou shouldst have died that moment, my own hero! Alas, why do you survive, to pace over geometrical enclosures, in pursuit of pigmy game! But bear thy faculties meekly, whilst the deer is being gralloched."-Scrope.

PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS OF THE METROPOLIS.

"I belong to the unpopular family of Telltruths, and would not flatter Apollo for his lyre."-Rob Roy.

Places of public amusement are now in active work, offering sufficient attraction to mitigate after an agreeable fashion those "compliments of the season"-November fogs. Foremost is the PRINCESS's, with "A Midsummer Night's Dream," which is peculiarly adapted for the grandeur with which Mr. Charles Kean is wont to invest the productions on his stage. Accordingly the scenic splendour in this instance is particularly apropos; and the evolutions of the best corps de danse to be met with are beyond everything well-timed. Such etherial spirits really almost impress poor mortals with the desire to fly this utilitarian orbit for fairyland. The actors do their utmost to the success of this the crowning work of the whole series of classic embodiments at the Princess's. Not content with this, the manager gives in "Pizarro." But this is embarras de richesse. At the LYCEUM Mr. Charles Dillon has made a famous start as manager, and as an actor has proved his power to take a conspicuous position: his Belphegor, and his very opposite character in "The King's Musqueteers," sufficiently attest this. Indeed this last shows that in the Don Cæsar de Bazan style of character he is specially strong. Mrs. Dillon, too, gives satisfactory proof of her ability as an actress. The manager has done well in his selection from the country boards, Mr. Calhaem and Miss Wilton being particularly welcome arrivals; the latter's performance of the mountebank's son in the drama being as remarkable for tenderness and feeling as her Perdita is smart and amusing. By-the-bye, why withdraw "The Winter's Tale"? It is a telling burlesque, and generally well played. Indeed, Mr. Toole's version of "Bobbing Around" is of itself an attraction. If Mr. Dillon would only, instead of giving two pieces of three acts each in one evening, substitute the burlesque, or a farce for one of them, he will be far more likely to realize an established success. A little condensation would be welcome at the HAYMARKET. To this it may be urged that the visitor is at liberty to leave before the last farce comes on. So he may; but the British public is curiously composed, and disposed to find fault. Simpkins will persist in stopping the performances out, and then the next morning grumble to his heart's content at the lateness of the hour. But to turn to the bill, it will be found that the chief fare consists of old comedies revived for the purpose of introducing an American actor-Mr. Murdoch, whose Mirabel in "The Inconstant" and Rover in "Wild Oats" are indicative of ability. These old comedies contain an amount of sentiment which is hardly appreciated in these degenerate days. For instance, when Rover's father and mother discover in him their long-lost son, and affectionately go through the