12 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



way of taking the Pike is with an artificial fly ; many have 

 asserted that they are not to be caught at all with a fly, but, 

 as a convincing proof to the contrary, the engraving of the 

 skeleton of the Jiead of a Pike is given, which is the biggest 

 taken by a line, or perhaps ever known in this country, and 

 which was caught in Lock Ken, near New Galloway, in 

 Scotland, with a common fly, made of the Peacock's feather ; 

 it weighed seventy-two pounds ; the skeleton of the head is 

 at Kemnore Castle ; the jaw at the top is that of a Pike, 

 weighing tiventy-five pounds ; a scale is annexed, by which 

 the respective proportions of the two may be ascertained 

 and which will convey some idea of the largest Pike ever 

 seen in Great Britain." 



Most authors have given the weight of this Pike as 

 72 Ibs., but it is as well to point out that one early writer 

 differs from them, viz., Dr. Grierson, who published some 

 ' Mineralogical Observations in Galloway ' in the " Annals of 

 Philosophy" for 1814, with the following in a footnote: "I 

 have very often killed in Loch Ken perch weighing four 

 pounds, and at one time a pike of seven ; but this is 

 nothing in comparison of one that was caught about forty 

 years ago in this lake, by John Murray, gamekeeper to the 

 Hon. John Gordon of Kenmore. It weighed 61 Ibs. and 

 the head of it is still preserved in Mr. Gordon's library at 

 Kenmore Castle." 



This Pike from Loch Ken differs from other immense 

 Pike which have been recorded from time to time, in that a 

 part of the fish is still extant to bear witness to its size, and 

 one of the objects of a recent visit to Galloway was to look 

 at these remains and to try and form an opinion as to 

 whether the fish had actually weighed sixty or seventy 

 pounds when caught. I was permitted to examine the 

 incomplete skeleton of the head in Kenmure Castle, and I 

 took several measurements ; I was also allowed to do the 

 same with some heads of large Pike from Loch Ken, the 

 property of Sir Arthur Henniker- Hughan, Bart., in his 

 house at Parton. 



Before giving details of these measurements I must call 

 attention to the fact that the size of the head is a very 

 uncertain indication of the weight of the fish. The head is 



