THE PIKE. 895 



extent. It loves a still, shady, unfrequented water, with a 

 sandy, clayey, or chalky bottom ; and grows to a larger size 

 in pools than in rivers. From May to the beginning of 

 October it usually finds out a retreat amongst or near flags, 

 bulrushes, or water- docks, and particularly under the ranun- 

 culus aquaticus, or water-ranunculus, especially when in 

 flower, and which floats on the surface. Pikes will some- 

 times be found in the termination of sharp currents. From 

 March to the end of May, they resort to back-waters that 

 have direct communication with the main stream ; and as 

 winter approaches they retire to the deeps, under clay -banks, 

 bushes impending over the water, stumps and roots of trees, 

 piles of bridges, and flood-gates. They spawn in March or 

 April, according to the coldness or warmth of the weather, 

 quitting the rivers for creeks and ditches communicating 

 with them, and dropping their ova on the grass and reeds. 

 In ponds they choose the reeds and shallows for depositing it. 

 Ducks and other wildfowl eagerly devour the spawn, and by 

 them it is transported to other waters. The appearance of 

 pike in ponds, where none were ever put, has been deemed 

 as extraordinary as its asserted longevity; it is, however, 

 easily accounted for upon the well-known principles of the 

 generation of fishes. If a heron has devoured their ova and 

 afterward ejected them, while feeding in one of these ponds, 

 it is highly probable that they may be produced from this 

 original, in the same way as the seeds of plants are known 

 to be disseminated. 



The longevity of the pike is truly remarkable, if credit 

 may be given to the assertions respecting it. 



Rzaczynski speaks of one ninety years old ; but Gesner's 

 pike that was taken near Ilailbrun, in Swabia, in 1497, 

 with a brazen ring, denoting that from the hands of the 

 governor of the universe, Frederick the Second, he was put 



