80 THE TROLLER'S GUIDE. 



After Jack and Pike have fully recovered from spawn- 

 ing, they then have many beautiful spots on their bodies, 

 of a bright white and yellowish colour, their tails and fins 

 have also on them numerous dusky spots and waved lines. 

 Jack and Pike, when on the feed, are as bold as they 

 are voracious, attacking all kind of fish, except the Tench : 

 the scales of Tench are very small and close, and the 

 whole body covered with a slimy glutinous substance, 

 which is considered to be of a balsamic quality, healing 

 the wounded and sick of all the finny race; for which 

 purpose the sick and wounded rub themselves against the 

 Tench, and receive a cure : this is the general and 

 received opinion, and, in consequence, the Tench is 

 honoured with the name of the Physician, and is respected 

 even by the all-devouring Pike; and described in the 

 following manner by POPE. 



Pike, fell tyrant of the liquid plain, 



With ravenous waste devours his fellow train ; 



Yet, howsoe'er with raging famine pin'd, 



The Tench he spares, a medicinal kind; 



For, when by wounds distress'd, or sore disease, 



He courts the salutary fish for ease, 



Close to his scales, the kind physician glides, 



And sweats the healing balsam from his sides. 



CAMBDEN in his Britannica says he has seen the bellies of Pike 



opened to shew their fatness, and the gaping wounds healed, by 



Tench touching them, and leaving their glutinom slime thereon. 



(See page 322 of CAMBDEN'S Britannica.) 



