The Boy's Own Handbook of Indoor and Outdoor Sports. (Hamilton,
Adams, and Co.)—We should have passed this book, which goes over familiar topics without much novelty of treatment, with some ordinary expression of praise or blame, but for the accident of our lighting upon this passage :—" The most killing baits for the barbel are the spawn of trout, salmon, or indeed of any other fish, especially if it be fresh, re- specting which the barbel is very cunning ; the pastes that imitate it must, therefore, be well made and of fresh flavour." It is possible that the author means that only pastes imitative of spawn should be used, but he does not say so ; and if he means to recommend fishing with spawn, he might as well say "the best way of getting a gold watch is to thrust your hand through a goldsmith's window."
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