162 57^^ BRITISH ANGLER. P.II. 



The Male Pike is better than the Female, 

 which is out of Seafon a great Part of the Sum- 

 mer. The Pike's Flelh is whiter, finer, and 

 every way more excellent than that of the Carp, 

 The Jaw-bones, Hearts, and Galls of Pikes 

 are reported by Gefner to be very Medicinal. 

 He fays they ftop Blood, abate Fevers, cure 

 Agues, oppofe and expel the Infection of the 

 Plague, and are many Ways ufeful for the 

 Good of Mankind. But he obferves, that the 

 Biting of a Pike is venomous, and hard to be 

 cured. His Spawn provokes Stool, and is 

 ufed for that Purpofe by the Country People. 



The Pike^ being a Fifli of Prey, breeds but 

 once a Year ; whereas other Fifh that are li- 

 able to be deftroyed, are obferved to breed 

 much oftner. Thus there are tame: Pigeons 

 v/hich {\t almoft every Month, whilft the 

 Hawk^ a Bird of Prey, breeds but once in 

 twelve Months. In this the Wifdom of Provi- 

 dence is very confpicuous, for its Care in the 

 Prefervation of every Species of Creatures. The 

 Time of Spawning for the Pike is ufually about 

 the End of February^ and fometimes in March ^ 

 as the Weather proves colder or warmer. A 

 He and a She Pike^ at this Time, will ufually 

 go together out of a River into fome Ditch or 

 Creek, where the Spawner cafts her Eggs, and 

 the Melter hovers over her during the Adion, 

 but touches her not. The befl of Pikes are 

 noted to be in Rivers *, next are thofe in great 

 Po?ids or Meers^ and the word in Ponds of a 

 fmaller Dimenfion. 



There 



