OF GREAT BRITAIN. 77 



Another amusing instance was related to me by 

 an eye-witness : Upon a piece of water belonging 

 to Wandle House, Wands worth, some toy vessels 

 were being sailed, at the stern of one of which was 

 attached a small boat fancifully decorated with 

 green and gilding. As the little craft swept 

 briskly across the pool, with her boat in tow, a 

 Pike suddenly darted from the water and seized 

 the boat in his jaws, well nigh capsizing the whole 

 flotilla in his efforts to drag his capture to the 

 bottom. To this task, however, his strength was 

 apparently unequal, and a fresh breeze springing 

 up, the submerged nautilus reappeared on the 

 surface and continued her voyage, but had hardly 

 got fairly under way when the Pike again dashed 

 forward to the attack, seizing her as before, and 

 repeating the performance until the boat grounded 

 on the opposite bank. 



It has been mentioned that in rare instances 

 and when under the influence of either extreme 

 anger or hunger, Pike have been very clearly con- 

 victed of attempted manslaughter. Such being 

 the case, it is hardly necessary to say that it is by 

 no means uncommon for animals, often of large 

 size, to be similarly attacked, and, in the case of 

 the smaller species, devoured, by this fish. Ac- 

 counts are on record of otters, dogs, mules, oxen, 

 and even horses being assaulted. Poultry are 

 constantly destroyed by the Pike, " the dwellers 

 in the ' Eely place,'" as Hood punningly says, 



