234 FACT Igainst fiction. 



or reason in tlie generally-considered foolish fisli, 

 the pike ? 



At Heron Court, in the summer of 1871, in 

 the sheet of water on the lawn, in which there 

 was said to be no other than one small pike 

 of scarce a pound in weight, there were several 

 young birds, from the common wild duck bred 

 at large, as well as the young Carolina ducks, 

 under a hen, in the coop before alluded to. Day 

 by day the young wild ducks disappeared in an 

 unaccountable way, with no signs .left on the bank 

 of their destruction ; and so did the young Carolina 

 ducks. When these young water-fowl had dis- 

 appeared, that had thus been given free access 

 to the water, my suggestions as to the next ^^trip" 

 were adhered to. The next hatch of Carolina 

 ducks were put in a coop before described, but 

 in a little pool to themselves, wired off from the 

 expanse of water. One day, on the head gardener, 

 Mr. Bowring, going to visit the young ducks, 

 there, close along the side of the wire, in the 

 shallow water, his motionless eyes fixed on the 

 coop, lay a pike, of about five pounds, waiting 

 for the expected prey. The alarm was at once 

 given, the drag-net procured, and the pike was 



