254 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



In the winter carp either bury themselves in the mud, or h'e among the water-weeds or 

 roots of trees at the bottom. They are vegetarians for the most part, with no teeth in their 

 mouths, but strong, powerful grinding-teeth in their throats; they are believed to regurgitate 

 their food and chew it, somewhat as a cow chews the cud. 



With regard to the weight which this fish attains, one of 19 lbs. was taken at Sheffield 

 Park in 1882. This was exceptionally large; but one still larger, weighing 21 lbs. 10 ozs., was 

 caught at Bayham Abbey, near Lamberhurst, in 1870; while one of 22 lbs. was exhibited 

 many years ago to the Zoological Societ)'. In the German lakes these fish reach a weight 

 of 40 lbs., or even more. 



Carp will, however, occasionally cat small fish, and have even been caught with a salmon-fly. 



CHAPTER XII 



PIKES, ARAPAIMAS, BEAKED SALMON, AND SCOPELIDS 



BV W. P. pyCRAFT, A.L.S., F.Z.S. 



THE Pikes are strictly fresh-water fishes, which are extremely voracious, and grow 

 to a large size. They are met with in most of the fresh-waters of Europe, Asia, and 

 America ; yet they must be regarded rather as a Western than an Eastern type, 

 since all the known species occur in America, whilst only one — the COMMON PiKE — is known 

 outside that country. Theiie fishes capture their prey by stealth — practised, however, not so 

 much by concealment as by lying suspended in the water, perfectly motionless save for the 

 movement of the gills, which is barely perceptible. When the victim comes within reach, it is 

 seized b\^ a sudden rush. The form of the body is admirably adapted to this manner of feeding, 

 resembling rather a submerged log than a fish. It is, furthermore, on account of this shape 

 that the name Pike has been bestowed, since it recalls the "pike" borne by the soldiers of 

 bygone da}-s. 



When on the feed, nothing comes amiss to pike, and the havoc the}- commit in 

 trout-streams is enormous. Not only other fishes are devoured, but both the young and 

 adults of water-birds are frequently seized, and instances are on record where boys have been 

 attacked while bathing. The mouth of a pike bristles with teeth, even the roof being thickly 

 covered. These are all attached by hinges, moving readily backwards towards the throat, sg 

 as to assist the swallowing operation, but preventing any possibility of the victim's escape. 



In Great Britain the 

 pike is held in high 

 esteem by anglers, though 

 as an article of food it does 

 not find much favour. The 

 females are larger than 

 the males. The largest 

 specimens attain a length 

 of about 4 feet, sometimes 

 » *" a little more, and a weight 



of from 36 to 37 lbs. 



About six species of 

 pike are known, five of 

 which arc confined to 

 jVmerican waters. Of these, 

 the one known as the 

 Ph.,. hy Dr. R. (T. shuf^lj,-] (// .,/:,.,i,.„ AIUSKET-LUXGE, or MUS- 



P I K R KINONGE, attains the same 



Ti: most furumus of freih-ivaur fishe' large sizc as the common 



