Chap. 4. Of the PIKE. i6l 



their Belly, but firft into fome Place betwixt, 

 where they mafticate and digeft it by Degrees, 

 which \% czXhd Chewing the Cud, Pite will 

 even bite when they are not hungry, provided 

 a tempting Bait comes in their Way. 



The Pike will eat venomous Things, in par- 

 ticular fome Kind of Frogs that are fo efteem- 

 ed, and yet live without being injured by 

 them : Whence it has been conjecflured that 

 'he has in him a natural Antidote againft all 

 Poifon. He has a wonderful natural Heat, 

 that can digeft and exclude every Kind of Fifli- 

 P'lefli, without being fick. He is faid never 

 to eat the venomous Frog^ till he has firft kil- 

 led, and then fo throughly waflied her, by 

 moving her up and down in the Water, that 

 he may devour her without Danger. Gefner 

 affirms, that a Polifi Gentleman faithfully af- 

 fured him, that he had feen two young Geefe 

 at one Time in the Belly of a Pike : And there 

 is no doubt but this Filli, in the Height of his 

 Hunger, will fnap at and devour a Dog that 

 fwims in a Pond, there having been Examples 

 of his fo doing. 



The Pike has the Charadler of a folitary bold 

 Fifli : Solitary, becaufe he always fwims and 

 repofes himfelf alone^ and never in Sholes, or 

 with Company, as Roach and Dace^ and moft 

 other Fifh do •, and bold, becaufe he fears not 

 a Shadow, nor to fee or be feen of any Body, 

 like the Trout and Chuh^ and all other Inha- 

 bitants of the Rivers. 



The 



