LIVE-BAITING. 145 



GROWTH OF PIKE. 



I think it possible that *J. B. H. ' (who asked a question 

 about the growth of pike last week) may be glad of the little infor- 

 mation which I can give (the result of my experience). A few 

 years ago I stocked a piece of water five acres in extent with pike. 

 The piece of water is near Lymington, the property of my brother. 

 I can positively state that there were no pike in the water when I 

 stocked it. 



I put in some pike, all of them under i Ib. each in weight, in the 

 early autumn. Exactly three years afterwards, in the early autumn, 

 I caught two pike in that piece of water, each weighing 12 Ibs. I 

 am sorry that I cannot commence calculating the increase of weight 

 from March, after the spawning season. In this piece of water, 

 therefore, the pike increased in weight nearly 4 Ibs. a year. The 

 piece of water is well stocked with roach and other small fish, and 

 has a gravelly bottom generally. SIDNEY BURRARD (The Mount, 

 Isle of Wight, Dec. 10). 



In June, 1855, Richard Briscoe, Esq., whilst fishing in Melbourne 

 Pool, Derbyshire, caught a pike which weighed 20 Ibs. This fact is' 

 interesting as being one step towards solving the question of the 

 progressive growth of pike. The pool was emptied of water and 

 cleaned out, and stocked with pike and other fish on Dec. 16, 1847, 

 so that this pike had grown to that weight in rather more than 

 eight years and five months. This pike was 3 ft. 3 in. long and 

 1 8 in. in girth round the shoulders. His head was small in pro- 

 portion, his body in prime condition, beautifully marked, bright and 

 symmetrical in shape, and the fish was evidently in the prime of 

 life. 



I once saw a pike on August 26, which was in good condition, 

 but a very old fish ; and although it measured 3 in. longer than the 

 one just described, and about the same in girth, it only weighed 

 1 6 Ibs., or 4 Ibs. lighter. This fish had lost some of its teeth, and 

 had the most ferocious shark-like head I ever saw in a pike. 



It is generally supposed that pike grow more rapidly in Mel- 

 bourne Pool than the Trent. Mr. Kinsey, of Melbourne, put a pike 

 into a well when a few inches long ; food was given to it for several 

 years, but it grew very slowly, and at last reached 3 Ibs. It lived 

 fourteen years, and latterly became very tame so much so as to 

 take food from the hand. If a worm were tied to a string and put 

 II. L 



