DUKE OF EDINBURGH' S PIKE. 155 



painted by Mr. Seaiie, and exhibited at tlie Berlin 

 Fishery Exhibition of 1880. 



In February, 1879, I was favoured by receiving from 

 Col. W. G. Colville, Clarence House, St. James's, a 

 magnificent pike which H.K.H. the Duke of Edinburgh 

 had himself caught at Eastwell, his country seat, near 

 Ashford. This pike was a very handsome female ; she 

 weighed twenty-four pounds, and measured more than 

 3ft. Mr. Searle and myself cast the fish, and Mr. Searle 

 afterwards painted it. I had the honour of presenting 

 it to the Duke, and it is now fixed in a prominent posi- 

 tion in the entrance hall of Clarence House. This pike, 

 I found, contained a great many eggs ; these were in 

 two lobes side by side like the hard row of the herring. 

 The eggs were the size of turnip seed ; they w^eighed 

 altogether 21bs. 4oz. 



Mr. Searle, my secretary, weighed several grains, 

 counted them, and averaged them, and thus got at the 

 contents of the whole mass, which numbered no less than 

 22-1,640 eggs. 



When we consider this enormous number of eggs in 

 one fish, it seems wonderful to imagine what becomes of 

 them all. The number of eggs in this one fish was 

 equal nearly three times the population of Brighton ; 

 nine times the population of "Wmdsor ; or nearly half the 

 population of Liverpool. Jacks' eggs no doubt aftbrd 

 food for numerous water insects, as well as to roach and 

 fishes of the carp tribe, which, I know fi'om experience, 

 are great eaters of eggs. It is quite as well for the 

 economy of the fish world in the Duke's lake that this 

 large pike should be destroyed, as without doubt this 

 monster kept all the fish in the pond in a state of terror. 



The most successful angler for pike in modern times 

 is Mr. A. Jardine. In November, 1879, Mr. Jardine 



