THE DRAWING OF THE SEINE. 155 



These probably liad received no injury, and their un- 

 clouded senses told them the direction of the water. 

 They are intelligent fishes. How well I remember the 

 cunning shown by a number of pike when in danger of 

 capture. A gilling-net had been placed across the out- 

 let of a small tributary of Poaetquissings Creek. In 

 this little spring-brook several large pike had wandered 

 in search of minnows. Being disturbed, they rushed 

 with great impetuosity towards the net, and the fore- 

 most was at once securely entangled in its meshes. 

 Straightway the others stopped as suddenly as they had 

 started, and, recognizing that their fellow was in trouble, 

 "took in the situation" at once. Each pike evidently 

 realized the true condition of affairs, and reasoned thus : 

 that pike tried to go through this obstacle in the water, 

 and is in trouble ; it is necessary for me to avoid it by 

 some other means. There were five of these fish that 

 paused close to the net ; and each acted, I believe, as it 

 thought best. One of them came to the surface, and, 

 after a moment's pause, turned upon one side and leaped 

 over the cork-line. Seeing the success of this effort on 

 the part of one, a second did the same. A third came 

 to the shore near where I stood, and, discovering a nar- 

 row space between the brail and the net, passed very 

 slowly through, as though feeling its way, although the 

 water was so shallow that its body was fully one third 

 above the surface as it did so. The others were either 

 more timid or less cunning. They turned to go up 

 stream ; but being met by my companion, who was mak- 

 ing a great noise by whipping the water, they rushed 

 again towards the net, but checked their course when 



