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NATURAL HISTORY. 



Family II. Esocidac. (Lnt. Esox, a Pike.) 

 ESOX. 



Lucius (Lat. a Pike), the Pike. 



This fierce and voracious fish is now common in most rivers 

 and lakes in England, although it was formerly so rare as to 

 be rated at ten times the value of turbot. 



It affords much sport to anglers, who generally employ a 

 method of fishing called " trolling." A gudgeon, roach, or 

 large minnow is so fixed to a number of formidable hooks, 

 that when drawn through the water, it spins rapidly round, 

 and attracts the notice of the watchful PIKE, who dashes at 

 the glittering bait with a violence that jars the rod down to 

 the very butt. Off swims the pike to his place of concealment, 

 leisurely turns the head of the bait downwards, and swallows 

 it. Now, to swallow the fish is easy enough, but the array of 

 barbed hooks proves an effectual obstacle to the endeavours of 

 the Pike to get rid of the unwelcome morsel as soon as the an- 

 gler jerks the line, and gives the Pike to understand that hooks 

 have points. The deluded Pike now endeavours to break the 

 line, but a good fisherman foils all his etlbrts, and at last lands 

 him, wearied and bleeding, but ferocious to the last. 



