OBSERVATIONS OF THE LUCE OR PIKE 



venomous, so thoroughly washed her, by tumbling her up and 

 down in the water, that he may devour her without danger. 

 And Gesner affirms that a Polonian gentleman did faithfully 

 assure him, he had seen two young Geese at one time in the 

 belly of a Pike. And doubtless a Pike in his height of hunger, 

 will bite at and devour a dog that swims in a pond, and there 

 have been examples of it, or the like ; for as I told you, * The 

 belly has no ears when hunger comes upon it.' 



The Pike is also observed to be a solitary, melancholy, and a 

 bold fish : melancholy, because he always swims or rests himself 

 alone, and never swims in shoals or with company, as Roach 

 and Dace, and most other fish do: and bold, because he fears 

 not a shadow, or to see or be seen of any body, as the Trout 

 and Chub, and all other fish do. 



And it is observed by Gesner, that the jaw-bones, and hearts 

 and galls of Pikes, are very medicinable for several diseases ; 

 or to stop blood, to abate fevers, to cure agues, to oppose or 

 expel the infection of the Plague, and to be many ways medicin- 

 able and useful for the good of mankind : but he observes, that 

 the biting of a Pike is venomous and hard to be cured. 



And it is observed, that the Pike is a fish that breeds but 

 once a year, and that other fish, as namely, Loaches, do breed 

 oftener : as we are certain tame Pigeons do almost every month, 

 and yet the Hawk, a bird of prey, as the Pike is a fish, breeds 

 but once in twelve months : and you are to note, that his time of 

 breeding, or spawning, is usually about the end of February, or 

 somewhat later, in March, as the weather proves colder or 

 warmer, and to note, that his manner of breeding is thus, a He 

 and a She-Pike will usually go together out of a river into some 

 ditch or creek, and that there the Spawner casts her eggs, and 

 the Melter hovers over her all that time that she is casting her 

 spawn, but touches her not. 



I might say more of this, but it might be thought curiosity or 

 worse, and shall therefore forbear it, and take up so much of your 

 attention, as to tell you, that the best of Pikes are noted to be in 

 Rivers, next, those in great Ponds, or Meres, and the worst in 

 small Ponds. 



But before I proceed further, I am to tell you that there is a 

 great antipathy betwixt the Pike and some Frogs ; and this 

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