GEN. ESOX. THE COMMON PIKE. 93 



of about four inches in length. He swallowed four 

 of them, and kept the fifth in his mouth for about 

 a quarter of an hour, when it also disappeared. 

 Eight pike, of about five pounds each, tenanted this 

 preserve, and out of eight hundred gudgeons which 

 were counted into the reservoir, there were scarcely 

 any to be seen at the end of three weeks, though 

 some Barbel and Perch probably had their share. 

 Old Bowlker gives a still more striking illustration 

 of this trait, as follows. " My father caught a pike 

 in Barn-meer Cheshire, an ell long, (three feet nine 

 inches), and of thirty-five pounds weight, which he 

 brought to Lord Cholmonly, who ordered it to be 

 turned into a canal in the garden, wherein were 

 abundance of several sorts of fish. About twelve^ 

 months afterwards, the canal was drawn, and this 

 pike was found to have devoured all the fish except 

 a large carp, of between nine and ten pounds weight, 

 and it was bitten in several places. The pike was 

 then put into the canal again, together with abun- 

 dance of fish, all of which he devoured in less than 

 a year's time; and he was then observed to take 

 ducks and other water-fowl under water; whereupon 

 they shot magpies and crows, which the pike took 

 before their eyes; being soon after neglected, he 

 died, as supposed, from want of food." Frogs, water- 

 rats, water-hens, and other fowl, often become its 

 prey. In default, says Mr. Yarrell, of a sufficient 

 quantity of other fishes to satisfy them, moor-hens, 

 ducks, and indeed any animal of small size, whether 

 alive or dead, are constantly consumed. 



