AND OF STILL WA TERS. 25 



* 



fit the story in other words, that several ver- 

 tebrae had been added. Another writer, M. 

 Passon Maisonneuve, gives us further par- 

 ticulars concerning the ring namely, that it 

 was of ' Gilded brass/ and could ' enlarge itself 

 by springs ' a highly necessary qualification if 

 its wearer's growth is to be considered, and one 

 which would seem not to be confined to this 

 portion of the story alone." 



Putting aside such-like monsters, which seem 

 to be, in the words of Polonius, " very like a 

 whale," most veracious historians agree that 

 the pike rarely exceeds 40 lbs. in weight, at all 

 events in these islands. That he should not be 

 allowed to do so is certain from a gastronomical 

 point of view, seeing that a young pike or jack 

 increases in weight at the rate of 4 lbs. per 

 annum during the earlier portions of his life, 

 but that after twelve years he diminishes each 

 year by 1 lb. to 2 lbs., a rate of diminution 

 increasing as his age advances. Young pike 

 are the best for eating, and by connoisseurs 

 those of moderate size are much preferred to 

 either small or large fish. 



