CHAP, viii.] THE FOURTH DAY. 129 



another called in some places a Samlet, or by some a Skegger ; 

 but these, and others which I forbear to name, may be fish cf 

 another kind, and differ as we know a Herring and a Pilchard 

 do,* which, I think, are as different as the rivers in which they 

 breed, and must, by me, be left to the disquisitions of men of 

 more leisure, and of greater abilities than I profess myself to 

 have. 



And lastly, I am to borrow so much of your promised patience, 

 as to tell you that the trout, or Salmon, being in season, have, at 

 their first taking out of the water, which continues during life, their 

 bodies adorned, the one with such red spots, and the other 

 with such black or blackish spots, as give them such an addition 

 of natural beauty as, I think, was never given to any woman by 

 the artificial paint or patches in which they so much pride them, 

 selves in this age.t And so I shall leave them both ; and pro- 

 ceed to some observations of the Pike. 



PISCATOR. THE mighty Luce or Pike is taken to be the 

 CHAP. viii. On tyrant, J as the Salmon is the king, of the fresh 

 the Luce or Pike, waters. 'Tis not to be doubted but that they 

 are bred, some by generation, and some not; as, namely, of a weed 

 called pickerel- weed, unless learned Gesner be much mistaken, for 

 he says this weed and other glutinous matter, with the help of 

 the sun's heat, in some particular months, and some ponds apted 

 for it by nature, do become Pikes. But, doubtless, divers Pikes 

 are bred after this manner, or are brought into some ponds some 

 such other ways as is past man's finding out, of which we have 

 daily testimonies. 6 



VARIATION. 



6 It is not to be doubted but that the Luce, or PickreU^ or Pike, breeds by spawning : 

 and yet Gesner says that some of them breed where uone ever was, out of a weed 



* There is a fish, in many rivers, of the Salmon kind, which though very small, is 

 thought by some curious persons to be of the same species ; and this, I take it, is the 

 fish known by the different names of Salmon- Pink, Shedders, Skeggers, Last-springs, 

 and Gravel Last-springs. But there is another small fish very much resembling these 

 in shape and colour, called the Gravel Last-spring, found only in the river Wye, and 

 Severn ; which is, undoubtedly, a distinct species : These spawn about the beginning 

 of September : and in the Wye I have taken them with an ant-fly as fast as I could 

 throw. Perhaps this is what Walton calls the Tecon. H. 



t This passage occurs in the^frj/ edition. Several allusions to the fashion of women 

 wearing patches occurs in Pepys' Diary. "August 30, 1660. This is the first day that 

 ever I saw my wife wear black patches since we were married." " October 20, 1660. I 

 dined with my Lord and Lady [Sandwich], he was very merry and did talk very high 

 how he would have a French cook, and a master of his horse, and his lady and child to 

 w<-ar black patches." "4 Nov. My wife seemed very pretty to-day, it being the first 

 time I had civen her leave to wear a black patch." Speaking of the Queen, he savs, 

 " Hut my wife standing near her with two or three black patches on and well dre>sed, 

 did *cem to me much handsomer than she." 



\ 1'i'pe also ca.ls Pikc.s 



"The tyrants of the wat'ry plains." 



I 



