The Fourth Day 125 



frogs so fearful of the water-snake, that when they 

 swim in a place in which they fear to meet with him 

 they then get a reed across into their mouths ; which 

 if they two meet by accident, secures the frog from 

 the strength and malice of the snake ; and note, that 

 the frog usually swims the fastest of the two. 



And let me tell you, that as there be water and 

 land frogs, so there be land and water snakes. 

 Concerning which take this observation, that the 

 land-snake breeds and hatches her eggs, which 

 become young snakes, in some old dunghill, or a 

 like hot place: but the water-snake, which is not 

 venomous, and as I have been assured by a great 

 observer of such secrets, does not hatch, but breed 

 her young alive, which she does not then forsake, 

 but bides with them, and in case of danger will take 

 them all into her mouth and swim away from any 

 apprehended danger, and then let them out again 

 when she thinks all danger to be past : these be 

 accidents that we Anglers sometimes see, and often 

 talk of. 



But whither am I going? I had almost lost 

 myself, by remembering the discourse of Dubravius. 

 I will therefore stop here ; and tell you, according 

 to my promise, how to catch this Pike. 



His feeding is usually of fish or frogs ; and some- 

 times a weed of his own, called pickerel-weed, of 

 which I told you some think Pikes are bred ; for they 

 have observed, that where none have been put into 

 ponds, yet they have there found many ; and that 

 there has been plenty of that weed in those ponds, 

 and that that weed both breeds and feeds them-: 

 but whether those Pikes, so bred, will ever breed by 

 generation as the others do, I shall leave to the 

 disquisitions of men of more curiosity and leisure 

 than I profess myself to have : and shall proceed to 

 tell you, that you may fish for a Pike, either with a 



