THE PIKE, JACK, OR LUCE. 143 



furnished in front with small teeth, but at the sides with exceedingly 

 long, sharp, piercing teeth, firmly anchylosed to the bone. Looking 

 into the mouth, three nearly parallel bands of teeth are seen upon the 

 palate ; in the central band (upon the vomer) the largest teeth are in 

 front, while in the lateral (palatine) bands the largest teeth are those 

 occupying the innermost position along the band, though in these also 

 there is some diminution in size towards the back of the mouth. All the 

 teetn which form these three bands are set upon hinges (with the possible 

 exception of the very smallest), and are capable of being bent down in 

 certain determinate directions until they assume a nearly horizontal 

 position. 



The teeth which lie upon the median line, of bhe vomer bend directly 

 backwards ; those upon the sides of the vomer backwards and a little 

 outwards. 



The teeth upon the two palatine bones bend backwards and inwards, 

 along a line forming an angle of 45deg. with the median line of the 

 mouth ; it is to be noted also that the palatine teeth, especially at the 

 back, descend to a lower level than the median (vomerine) teeth. A 

 moment's consideration will show the modus operandi of these hinged 

 teeth with their mobility restricted to a single direction. It is the habit 

 of the pike to prey upon other fish, often of relatively large size, and 

 these can only be swallowed when they are conveyed to the gullet in a 

 longitudinal direction, either head or tail foremost. The fish is taken 

 into the mouth of the pike either uninjured or but slightly maimed by 

 having been seized by the large marginal teeth the mouth is then 

 tightly closed, and the prey held up against the palate by the elevation 

 of the tongue and floor of the mouth. In this position the movement of 

 the prey is rendered all but impossible save in one direction. So long as 

 it lies longitudinally along the median line, between the two palatine 

 bands, its passage backwards to the throat is unobstructed, the hinged 

 teeth giving way before it ; but movement in any other direction is checked 

 by its becoming caught upon the sharp points of teeth rigidly fixed 

 against it. Thus the very struggles of the prey are probably utilised in 

 bringing it into, and arranging it along, the median line of the mouth, so 

 that it can be easily swallowed. During this process, which, unless the 

 prey be small, lasts some minutes, showers of detached scales issue from 

 beneath the gill-covers of the pike, thus giving evidence of the employ- 

 ment of the teeth within its mouth. 



The light which Mr. Tomes sheds upon the masticating power of pike 

 will be acceptable to all those interested in piscine natural history. 



The size to which pike, under certain circumstances, will grow is 

 astonishing. The old stock story of the Mannheim pike, which is 



