THE FISHES IN THE RIVER HULL. 17 
found to his amazement that the stickleback had been 
swallowed by a perch, and the latter in turn had been swallowed 
by the pike. The pike was not hooked, but the perch, which 
weighed 60z., was firmly embedded in his throat by means of its 
spiny back fin, so firmly indeed that it could not be dislodged 
without cutting the pike open. I myself witnessed the whole 
before the cutting had been performed. Ina certain situation, 
which for obvious reasons I cannot specify more definitely, it is 
my custom in the spring months to take a good many pike. Now 
this is also the resort of anglers who have in their mind another 
object, viz., the catching of trout, eels and flatfish. They bait 
with worms, a diet of which perch are very fond, so that it often 
happens that these anglers catch perch which at this season are 
protected, and have to be thrown in again. Accordingly, after 
the hook has been got out, the hapless perch is replaced in its 
native element in a more or less maimed condition, only to fall a 
prey to the pike, which are on the watch for just such a contingency. 
Every pike which is taken in this locality at this season is sure to 
contain three or four perch in various stages of digestion. Once 
when I was playing a good-sized roach on fine tackle, a pike 
about 2lbs. weight seized it. I had not the slightest idea that I 
could ultimately land him, because in all probability the small 
hook I was using was quite embedded in the roach, and therefore 
could not hook the pike; but after I had had him on about five 
minutes, and he showed evident signs of exhaustion, I entertained 
a hope that rather than relinquish his prey he would suffer himself 
to be introduced to my landing net. Calling a friend to my 
assistance, and stationing him at a convenient point with the net 
in the water ready, I actually succeeded in drawing the voracious 
brute, still champing the bait, over the net, when he was skilfully 
and promptly landed by my friend. We imagined at first that it, 
was hunger which prompted him, but this idea was rapidly 
dispelled when we observed the tail of another roach sticking out 
of his mouth. I have only known a pike to attack its own kind 
on one occasion. A pike was resting near some weeds. He 
was by no means ravenous, and did not deign to notice the lively 
dace with which we tried him. I had tried various devices and 
baits for half an hour or so, and was on the point of giving him up 
when a young fish about a foot long swam up to the bait and 
seized it. Like an arrow from a bow the larger fish, evidently 
jealous of the intrusion into his domains, darted to the smaller 
one, and seizing him by the middle, forced him to relinquish his 
intended prey. As soon as the smaller fish had put out the dace 
the larger one released him and seized the dace himself, only to 
fall a victim to his own greediness. 
3 
