28 THE HABITS AND HAUNTS OF FISH. 



social sort of way, in the still and deepest parts of 

 the water, or in some favourite nook which may have 

 been an annual place of assembly since it was origi- 

 nally formed. The ova of the pike hatch quickly, 32 

 or 33 days being the period. Their fry are also of 

 rapid growth. In the pickerel and jack stage they 

 devour enormous quantities of food, if favourable. 

 At a very early stage their vicious propensities are 

 exemplified. We once placed three pickerel, scaling 

 from 2 to 3j Ibs., in a small pond, in which had been 

 turned some four score store fish, the majority being 

 carp of small size, the remainder tench and perch. 

 Upon being netted at the end of the year, there was 

 not a single carp in the pond ; two-thirds of the perch 

 were left, as were also a few of the tench. The 

 pickerel had meanwhile developed into respectable 

 pike, scaling 5f to 6J Ibs. weight. Belief in the an- 

 cient doggerel, anent the natural propagation of pike, 

 eels, and other fish, from the pickerel weed, chopped 

 horse-hair, etc., it is said is not as yet fully dispelled 

 amongst the lower agricultural orders in some parts 

 of Scotland, and in several English counties. 



Walton, who invariably quotes the German natu- 

 ralist, Gesner, upon the natural history of fresh- 

 water fish, instead of relying solely upon his own 

 personal investigations, affirms his belief in these 

 and kindred superstitions, characteristic of our 

 forefathers. The same absurd nonsense is credited 

 in the Piscatory Eculogies, where we find the 

 following : 



