524 



of Natural 



rather a low situation ; the nest, consisting 

 of a few loose sticks, with some leaves in the 

 centre : the eggs are white. 



PIKE. (JUscx.) A genus of Malacoptery- 

 gious fishes, of the family Fsocidte. These 

 fish are distinguished by having only one 

 dorsal tin near the tail; along slender body, 

 compressed laterally ; and the lower jaw 

 projecting beyond the upper. They are ex- 

 tremely voracious and destructive, and their 

 digestive powers are as remarkable as their 

 voracity. 



The COMMON PIKE (Esox Indus') is found 

 in the fresh waters of most parts of Europe. 

 The body is elongated, and the surface co- 

 vered with small scales. When in season, 

 it is beautifully marked with a mixture of 

 green and bright yellow spots, passing into 

 white on the abdomen ; when out of season, 

 however, these colours become dull. Pikes 

 grow to a large size, occasionally attaining 

 a weight of thirty or forty pounds : and are 

 taken in great numbers as an article of food; 

 their flesh being white, firm, and well tasted. 

 They are strong, fierce, active, and particu- 

 larly bold ; swim rapidly, and occasionally 

 dart along with inconceivable velocity. 



I small aquatic birds, and other at-imals, 

 whether alive or dead. In short, so great is 

 its rapacity, that it has been known to con- 

 tend with "the Otter for his prey. 



The SEA PIKE. [See GAKFISH.] 



PILCHARD. (Clupea pilchardus.) This 

 fish, which resembles the Herring, not only 

 in general appearance but in its habits, is 

 about nine inches in length, and of a some- 

 what less compressed and rounder form than 

 the Herring ; the scales considerably larger. 

 The head is rather flat, and the mouth is 

 destitute of teeth ; the back is of a bluish 

 cast, the belly and sides are silvery, and the 

 upper angle of each of the gills is marked 

 with a large black spot. They feed on mi- 

 nute Crustacea and other marine insects 

 found at the bottom of the water. These 

 fish annually appear on the English coast, 

 and are taken in immense quantities ; the 

 same reason having until late years been 



They are caught either in what are called 

 crown nets, or by the hook ; when the latter 

 mode is used, the line must be very strong, 

 and the hook fastened with wire. The bait 

 generally used is a small fish. They attain 

 a great longevity : Pennant speaks of one 

 that was ninety years old ; but Gesner re- 

 lates that, in the year 1497, a Pike was taken 

 at Halibrun in Suabia, with a brazen ring 

 attached to it, on which were these words in 

 Greek characters : " I am the fish which 

 was first of all put into this lake by the 

 hands of the Governor of the Universe, 

 Frederick the Second, the 5th of October, 

 1230." This fish was therefore two hundred 

 and sixty-seven years old, and was said to 

 have weighed three hundred and fifty 



Cnds 1 The skeleton, nineteen feet in 

 _*th, was long preserved at Manheim as 

 a great curiosity in Natural History. Seve- 

 ral instances have, indeed, occurred in the 

 lakes of Scotland where Pike of seventy or 

 eighty pounds each have been caught ; but 

 nothing like the patriarchal age of the Ha- 

 librun Pike was ever heard of elsewhere. 

 Rapid growth requires to be sustained by a 

 corresponding proportion of food ; and there 

 can be no fear of a Pike starving while any 

 thing eatable is in the way. Mr. Jesse men- 

 tions, that eight Pike, of about five pounds 

 weight each, consumed nearly 800 gudgeons 

 in three weeks ; and that one of these de- 

 voured five roach, each about four inches 

 long, within a quarter of an hour. The Pike 

 not only makes sad havoc among other fish; 

 but, in default of a sufficient quantity, it 

 will devour frogs, water-rats, field mice, 



PILCHARD. (OLUPEA PILCHARD US.) 



universally assigned for such vast shoals of 

 Pilchards appearing periodically, as for the 

 Herrings, namely, their presumed migration 

 from the Arctic regions to warmer latitudes 

 for the purpose of spawning. This theory; 

 however, is now, with sufficient reason, 

 abandoned ; and it is established, almost 

 beyond a doubt, that they inhabit our own 

 seas, merely forsaking the deep waters and 

 coming towards the shore to deposit their 

 spawn ; thus fulfilling a great law of nature 

 in the propagation of their species, and at 

 the same time providing multitudes of 

 human beings with food. On this head we 

 have already spoken in the articles HERRING 

 and MACKERKL, to which we beg to refer. 

 And we shall now avail ourselves of Mr. 

 M'Culloch's account of the Pilchard fishery, 

 which has evidently been obtained from the 

 most authentic sources. 



" It is carried on along the coasts of Corn- 

 wall and Devon, from the Bolt Head in the 

 latter, round by the Land's End to Padstow 

 and Bossiney in the former. Its principal 

 seats are St. Ives, Mount's Bay, and Meva- 

 gissey. The fish usually make their appear- 

 ance in vast shoals in the early part of July, 

 and disappear about the middle of October ; 

 but they sometimes reappear in large num- 

 bers in November and December. They 

 are taken either by seems or by drift-nets, 

 but principally, perhaps, by the former. A 

 scan is a net, varying from 200 to 300 fathoms 

 in length, and from 10 to 14J ditto in depth, 

 having cork buoys on one edge and lead 

 weights on the other. Three boats are at- 

 tached to each sean, viz., a boat (scan-boat), 

 of about 15 tons burden, for carrying the 

 scan ; another (follower), of about the same 

 size, to assist in mooring it ; and a smaller 

 boat (lurker), for general purposes. The 



