106 BRITISH FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Mr. Yarrell, on Mr. Jesse's authority, says : " The 

 present head -keeper of Richmond park was 

 once washing his hand over the side of a boat, in 

 the great pond in that park, when a pike made 

 a dart at it, and he had but just time to with- 

 draw it." Mr. Jesse adds, that " a gentleman 

 now residing in Weybridge, in Surrey, walking 

 one day by the side of the river Wey, near that 

 town, saw a large pike in a shallow creek. He 

 immediately pulled off his coat, tucked up his 

 shirt-sleeves, and went into the water to inter- 

 rupt the return of the fish into the river, and 

 to endeavour to throw it out on the bank by 

 getting his hands under it. During the attempt 

 the pike, finding he could not make his escape, 

 seized one of the arms of the gentleman, and 

 lacerated it so much that the marks of the 

 wound are still visible." The following anec- 

 dote is taken from one of the public papers, 

 August 25, 1846 : On Thursday, Mr. Collet, 

 in company with a friend from London, were 

 fishing at Shepperton, for barbel, when the bait 

 was taken by a roach, which, in its turn, was 

 instantly seized by a pike. The line was drawn 

 in, the pike continuing its hold upon the small 

 fish till near the water's edge, when it suddenly 

 leaped from its victim and threw itself on the 

 bank, when both pike and roach were captured. 



