160 PIKE SWALLOWING PIKE. 



the 12tli May, 1872, a pike weighing 24ilbs. This fish 

 did not give one the idea of being of great antiquity ; 

 in fact, he could not have been very old. 



Two cases of a curious accident to pike have occurred 

 of late years. In April, 1870, Mr. Cramp sent me from 

 Killin, a wtII known salmon rod-fishing station at the 

 head of Loch Tay, two pike fastened firmly together by 

 the impaction of the head of one within the mouth and 

 jaws of the other. Mr. Cramp writes : "■ These two 

 pike w^hich weighed lOlbs. the two, are exactly in the 

 same position as when gaffed by my boatman on Loch 

 Tay. We saw a considerable movement on the surface^ 

 of the water, and upon our approaching to discover the 

 cause, the fish appeared to be fighting, and mereh^ sank 

 a short distance below the surface. The gaff penetrated 

 both then* heads. You will observe that the head of the 

 one fish (weighing, perhaps, 91b.) is tightly inserted up 

 to the termination of its gill, and part of the first lower 

 fin, in the mouth and throat of the larger one. 



A cast of this curious case of Pike v Pike is now in 

 my Fish Museum. 



A second case of pike swallowing a pike occurred 

 in April, 1880, when Dr. Burton, of Kelso, sent me a 

 drawing with the following account : 



*' Two pike, the larger S^lbs., the lesser 2^1bs., were 

 this day taken by the hand by a lad out of the Tweed 

 at Kelso^ the one nearly half swallowed by the other. 

 They were both alive, and when with difiiculty separated 

 and put into a water-tub, the larger made tw^o attempts 

 again to gorge his neighbour. The lad who took 'em 

 wondered to see ' a muckle fish wi' twa tails.' " 



The cause of this curious accident in both cases was 

 caused probably that both fish charged simultaneously 

 at a roach or other small bait. The roacli slipped out 



