140 



THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 



of the snake ; and note, that the frog usually swims the fastest 

 of the two. 



And let me tell you, that as there be water and land-frogs, so 

 there be land and water-snakes. Concerning which, take this 

 observation, that the land-snake breeds and hatches her eggs, 

 which become young snakes, in some old dung-hill, or a like hot 

 place ; but the water-snake, which is not venomous, and, as I 

 have been assured by a great observer of such secrets, does not 

 hatch but breed her young alive, which she does not then for- 

 sake, but bides with them ; and in case of danger will take 

 them all into her mouth, and swim away from any apprehended 

 danger, and then let them out again w^hen she thinks all danger 

 to be past : these be accidents that we anglers sometimes see, 

 and often talk of. 



But whither am I going ? I had almost lost myself by remem- 

 bering the discourse of Dubravius. I will therefore stop here, 

 and tell you, according to my promise, how to catch this Pike. 



His feeding is usually of fish or frogs, and sometimes a weed 

 of his own called pickerel-weed. Of which I told you some think 

 some pikes are bred ; for they have observed, that where none have 

 been put into ponds, yet they have there found many ; and that 

 there has been plenty of that weed in those ponds, and that that 

 weed both breeds and feeds them : but whetlier those pikes so 

 bred will ever breed by generation as the others do, I shall leave 

 to the disquisitions of men of more curiosity and leisure than 1 

 profess myself to have; and shall proceed to tell you, that you 

 may fish for a pike, eitiicr with a ledger or a walking-bait : and 

 you are to note, that I call that a ledger-bait, which is fixed or 

 made to rest in one certain place when you shall be absent from 

 it ; and J call that a walking-bait, which you take with you, and 



