320 PIKE. Class IV. 



XXXIV. Upper jaw fhorter than the lower. 



PIKE. Body long, {lender, compreffed Tideways. 



One dorfal fin placed near the tail. 



153. Pike. l uc ; us# Jufonii Mofella, 122. Pike, or Pickerel. Wil Icth* 



Luccio. Salvian. 94. 236. Rait Jyn pifc. II 2. 



Le Brochet. Belon, 292. Itin. Efox roftro plagioplateo. Art* 



104. fynon. 26. 



Lucius. Rondel, fluvial. 188. Efox Lucius Lin. fyfi. 516* 



Gefner pifc. 50Q. Grozo'v Zccpb. No. 361. 



Heket, Hecht. Scboneveldet Gjadda. Faun. Suec. No. 355. 



44. Hecht. Kram. 388. 



THE pike is common in mod of the lakes of 

 Europe but the largefl are thofe taken in Lap- 

 land, which, according to Sch<effer, are fometimes 

 eight feet long. They are taken there in great abun- 

 dance, dried, and exported for fale. The largefl fifh 

 or this kind which we ever heard of in England^ 

 weighed thirty-five pounds. 



According to the common faying, thefe fifh were 

 introduced into England in the reign of Henry VIII. 

 in 1537. They were fo rare, that a pike was fold 

 for double the price of a houfe-lamb in February, and. 

 a pickerel for more than a fat capon. How far this 

 may be depended on, I cannot fay, for this fifh is 

 mentioned in the Boke of St. Albons, printed in the 

 year 1496, and is not there fpoke of as a fcarce fifh* 

 as was then the cafe with refpecl to the carp. Great 

 numbers of this fifh were drefTed in the year 14.66, 

 at the great feafl given by George Nevil, Arch- 

 bimop of Tork. 



All writers who treat of this fpecies bring in- 

 flances of its vafl voracioufnefs. We have known 

 one that was choaked by attempting to fwallow 



one 



