96 MALACOP. ABDOM. PIKE FAMILY. 



a pity certainly to spoil so good a story. Where he 

 got this version of the incident we know not ; but 

 against it we must put that of old Gesner, as pro- 

 bably coming nearer the mark. " His devouring 

 disposition is so keen, that a man going to a pond 

 to water his mule, had the Pike bite his mule by 

 the lips ; to which the Pike hung so fast, that the 

 mule drew him out of the water, and by that acci- 

 dent the owner of the mule angled out the Pike." 



This extreme voracity of the Pike makes it a 

 question how far it is expedient to introduce it 

 into preserves along with other fish; and many 

 have advised it should be carefully excluded and 

 removed. This, however, we believe is carrying 

 the matter too far. With respect to natural wa- 

 ters, hear Mr. Colquhoun's sensible remarks : 

 " Many people think a loch injured by Pike : on 

 the contrary; unless very numerous, I have sel- 

 dom seen one worth fishing without them. If 

 a man prefers killing eight or nine dozen, with 

 scarcely a half-pounder among them, to a dozen fine 

 trout, from half a pound to three pounds weight, 

 then he may count the Pike his enemy; but the 

 latter feat will both better prove his skill, and afford 

 him much better sport. The reason why your trout 

 are always large where there are Pike is obvious ; 

 the small fry are always devoured by the latter, and 

 the others having more food, increase in size. A 

 few years ago Loch Katrine was choke-full of very 

 small trout, which have gradually become larger 

 since Pike have been introduced ; and now, two or 



