224 MALACOPTERYGII. ESOCID^. 



throat of the finny tyrant that he has been unable 

 to get rid of it, and both are taken. In some 

 cases, however, the Pike, at the moment of reach- 

 ing the surface, by means of a desperate lunge, 

 relieves himself from his dangerous victim, and 

 effects his escape. 



O'Gorman gives some examples of the same 

 ravenous appetite. One which he killed with a 

 Roach for a bait, had in his maw a Trout of four 

 pounds weight, evidently just taken ; and another 

 seized a Trout of more than six pounds. But 

 these examples yield to what he says he witnessed 

 on Dromore. A large Pike having been hooked 

 and nearly exhausted, was suddenly seized in the 

 water and carried to the bottom. Every effort 

 v^as made for nearly half an hour to bring this 

 enormous fish to shore, but to no purpose ; at 

 length, however, by making a noise with the 

 oars and pulling at the line, the anglers succeeded. 

 On getting up the Pike which they had been play- 

 ing, it was all torn as if by a large dog, but really, 

 doubtless, by another fish of the same species ; 

 and as the Pike so illtreated weighed seventeen 

 pounds, the rapacious fish that had held it so long 

 must have been indeed a monster ! * 



Mr. Lloyd informs us that it is not an uncom- 

 mon thing in the North of Europe for even the 

 voracious Pike to become the prey of a feathered 

 enemy. Eagles frequently pounce on these fish 

 when basking near the surface ; but when the 

 Pike has been very large, he has been known to 

 carry the Eagle under the water ; in which case 

 the bird being unable to disengage his talons has 

 been drowned. This traveller was informed by 



* The Practice of Angling, i. 318. 



I 



