Pond Life 
pike, if we leave out the trout, which, as 
has been stated, belongs more truly to 
the rivers. But the pike is a true pond- 
fish, and in large ponds where there is 
an abundance of food it is often of large 
size. For it is a voracious fish; and 
lives chiefly upon other fish. When it 
can’t get these it will eat young moor- 
hens and ducks—old ones, too, if it is big 
enough. It is like a fresh-water shark 
or tiger, and those fish which have 
devoured the vegetarian insects are in 
their turn devoured by the more power- 
ful pike, which again is liable to be 
attacked by the otter. They same 
struggle for existence is going on con- 
tinually in the water as in the air and on 
dry land. Indeed, as life originated in 
the water, it was there that this world- 
old struggle was commenced. 
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