Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1886-07-17 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

DEVONSHIRE TROUT STREAM. Should the angler be also a naturalist (and few fishermen, however intent on their favourite pastime, are utterly oblivious to the many interesting sights and sounds in connection with bird and animal life to be met with in the course of a day's fishing) then indeed does the moor possess a double attraction. Hawks of several kinds still exist in comparative security amidst the confines of Exmoor and Dartmoor, making their nests in some cranny of the high, and in some instances practically inaccessible, toes; water ousels (locally designated" dippers") are for ever flitting to and fro ; whilst ever and anon a gorgeously plumaged kingfisher darts away from some coign of vantage where he has been playing his avocation as an angler unencumbered by red or tackle; then, again, a stately heron, distorted on the edge of one of the pools, takes flight in his usually cumbrous and apparently leisurely fashion. In making a short cut across the heather one is as likely Must to flush a handsome black cock, or to disturb his more sombre.hued mate with her brood of youngsters all around her; or it may be that a fox, taking his noonday siesta, makes off at our approach, in as much hurry as if his natural enemies, the hounds, were close at Ids heels. Further down where the stream widens the seal of an otter is plainly diecernible to a practised eye; and when tlie summer drought has reduced the depth of water to considerably below the average, the coombes and valleys will ring again with the bray of the horn and the merry tongues of some local pack of otter hounds. Of small birds cf all kinds there it almost endless variety; to say nothing of moths and butterflies; whilst the botanist or fern hunter will find himself well repaid for his trouble if he forego fishing for an hour or so, and sets off on an coped" tion in search of some new specimen to add to his collection. Last, but not least, the thickwooda oak scrub, and bracken, with which the sides of the cootnbes are covered (through each of which runs a stream, are the homes of the wild deer of Exmoor. Towards the close of the day, if supplied with a strong field glass, the movements of the antlered monarchs of the herd accompanied by the hinds (at certain seasons) may be seen to advantage by taking lip commanding position and remaining perfectly motion leas and carefully obscured. On occasion indeed the watcher may be rewarded with the eight of a battle royal; or, again, by lying perdu in some convenient dell overlooking a pool where the deer are wont to come and drink, an uninterrupted and near view may often be obtained of the finest breed of wild animals that have hitherto successfully defied the advance of civilisation. raken all round, a moorland stream affords not only an immensity of sport to the angler, but in addition possesses attractions which to our mind, at le.ast, are entirely unique. —llludratrd Sp,rt. ing and Dramatic News.  AT the Bartoa-nn.Trent police-court a young man. named John Jeffries, has been charged with the wilful murder of Ann Jane Willis. The deceased, a young woman who had previously kept company with the prisoner, was out walking with two other girls late at night, when, as is alleged, the prisoner came up and no brutally kicked and aasaulted her that she had to be taken to the infirmary, where she died neat morning.