FISHES AND FISHING. 40 



were from six ounces to three quarters of a pound, or 

 sometimes a pound each, and they were eager after a 

 well-prepared bait. I often took carp from four to 

 six pounds each ; tench, from one pound to two, and 

 once, a tench weighing five pounds three quarters ; 

 and eels, one to three pounds. I do not think there 

 have been any pike in this water for many years, or 

 I believe many perch : of the latter, one was taken in 

 the year 1800, as one of the keepers (Bonham) in- 

 formed me, weighing nine pounds ; but though I 

 fished there during several years, I only took two of 

 the weight respectively of one pound, and one pound 

 and a quarter. Bonham also stated, that about 1796, 

 a pike was taken nearly on the opposite side to the 

 receiving house, in a most curious manner. As a foot- 

 man was walking by the side of the Serpentine one 

 morning, very early, he saw something struggling in 

 the weeds near the shore ; thinking it was some one 

 drowning, he rushed into the water, and found it was 

 an immense fish, nearly powerless ; the man got be- 

 yond the fish, and gradually lifted him nearer the 

 shore, and at last threw him out. It proved to be a 

 pike, that had attacked a carp of nearly seven pounds 

 weight, which, in endeavouring to swallow, had stuck 

 fast in the throat of the pike, and disabled him; on 

 being weighed, he proved to be more than thirty 

 pounds. I have not angled in the Serpentine for 



