282 THE RIVER-SIDE NATURALIST. 



Day makes the remark (which we can ourselves endorse) 

 that "pike in trout-preserves not only diminish the inha- 

 bitants, but scare them to that extent that they become 

 timorous of feeding, and frequently occasion a great falling- 

 off in the general condition of the trout." 



We noticed that in a part of the Itchen, where a few 

 years ago there were a great number of large pike, no trout 

 would rise in the day-time ; but as soon as these were 

 destroyed by netting and other means, the trout began to 

 feed as usual. 



These voracious fish have no hesitation in eating each 

 other. Fishing one day near St. Albans, we rose and 

 hooked a small jack about eight inches long. In pulling him 

 across the river, another jack much bigger made a rush" 

 and swallowed our little friend, and after a fight we landed 

 them both. The larger one, weighing 4 Ibs., was not 

 hooked, and shook himself free when he found himself in 

 the landing-net. Another time, near Leatherhead, a good- 

 sized jack was caught spinning, and as he was being landed 

 a large pike rushed at him, took him across the back, and 

 made off with him. After a good fight both the fish were 

 brought to bank and landed, the larger fish weighing over 

 1 6 Ibs. 



Trout are often taken by jack, but last year we witnessed 

 a case of retaliation. Strolling down a river, we noticed in 

 the middle of a shallow something bobbing up and down, 

 and on getting opposite to it we saw it was the tail and 

 part of the body of a good-sized fish. But what was making 

 it bob so ? It was too much in the middle of the stream 

 to take an accurate survey, but on wading in below, and 

 cautiously making our way up, we were astonished to find 

 that this proceeded from the mouth of a large fish, which 

 was doing all it could to swallow it down ; and on looking 

 carefully we found it to be a large trout of at least 

 5 or 6 Ibs., evidently half-suffocated. We tried to put our 

 landing-net under it, but it was too cautious. Still, it 

 only moved on a few yards, and again began the wobbling. 

 Again we tried, but without success ; and this went on for 

 fully a quarter of an hour. However, in the end, after 



