176 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Considerable weight of some. 



Boulker, in his " Art of Angling/' informs us 

 that his father caught a pike that was an ell long, 

 and weighed thirty-five pounds, which he pre- 

 sented to Lord Cholmondeley. His lordship di- 

 rected it to be put into a canal in his garden, 

 \vhich at that time contained a great quantity 

 offish. Twelve months afterward the water was 

 drawn off, and it was discovered that the pike 

 had devoured all the fish except a single large 

 carp, that weighed between nine and ten pounds, 

 and even this had been bitten in several places. 

 The pike was again put in, and an entire fresh 

 stock of fish for him to feed on ; all these he de- 

 voured in less than a year. Several times he was 

 observed by workmen, who were standing near, 

 to draw ducks and other water-fowl underwater. 

 Crows were shot and thrown in, which he took 

 in the presence of the men. From this time the 

 slaughtermen had orders to feed him with the 

 garbage of the slaughter-house ; but being after- 

 wards neglected he died, as it is supposed, for 

 want of nutriment. 



A pike was caught in the river Ouse (Decem- 

 ber 17(>5) that weighed upwards of twenty-eight 

 pounds, and was sold for a guinea. When it was 

 opened, a watch, with a black ribband and two 

 seals, were found in its body. These, it was 

 afterwards discovered, had belonged to a gen- 

 tleman's servant, who had been drowned in the 

 river about a month before. 



