34 ART OF ANGLING. 



The voracity of the Pike is commemorated 

 by all ichthyological writers ; it has been known 

 to choke itself in attempting to swallow one of 

 its own species which proved too large a mor- 

 sel ; it will also devour water rats, and young 

 ducks which happen to be swimming near it ; 

 and will even contend with the otter for its prey, 

 and endeavour to force it out of his mouth. A 

 Mr Plott, of Oxford, has recorded the following 

 highly singular anecdote. "At Lord Gower's 

 canal at Trentham, a Pike seized the head of a 

 swan as she was feeding under water, and gor- 

 ged so much of it as killed them both ; the ser- 

 vants, perceiving the swan with its head under 

 water for a longer time than usual, took boat, 

 and found both swan and Pike dead." 



Bowlker, in the first edition of this book, 

 gives the following instance of the extreme vo- 

 racity of this fish. "My father catched a Pike 

 in Barn-Meer, (a large standing water in Che- 

 shire,) which was an ell long, and weighed 

 thirty-five pounds, which he brought to Lord 

 Cholmondeley : his Lordship ordered it to be 

 turned into a canal in the garden, wherein were 

 abundance of several sorts offish : about twelve 

 months after, his Lordship drawed the canal, 

 and found that this overgrown Pike had de- 

 voured all the fish, except one large Carp that 

 weighed between nine and ten pounds, and that 



