THE PIKE. 65 



and not throw up against anglers the charge of cruelty 

 without reason or argument, as many have done. 



To revert to the pike, we may mention, what we 

 have gathered from various quarters, that it is found 

 sometimes in the Baltic and the Mediterranean a sin- 

 gular circumstance, which may be confirmed to the cu- 

 rious upon inquiry. Great injury has of late years been 

 done by the transference of the pike to many of our 

 best trouting lochs, where a single individual has been 

 known to consume nearly its own weight of fish daily. 

 This was the case on Loch Turit, near CriefF, where 

 the trout, formerly abundant, were, till lately, greatly 

 reduced by the hostile and merciless depredations of 

 their natural enemies. These in their turn, from the 

 circumstance of their being diligently netted out, have 

 become scarce, and the others are gradually regaining 

 the ascendancy. 



The best associates of the pike are perch and such 

 spine-protected and thick-scaled fish as can defy its 

 attacks. In fact, we generally notice that these sorts 

 are found together naturally ; although it may be 

 worthy of mention that we know at least of one coun- 

 ty in Scotland where the pike is particularly nume- 

 rous, and where hardly a single perch exists. This is 

 Ross-shire, northward of which both these fish become 

 unfrequent, as well as the minnow. The pike at table 

 is reckoned by some a coarse dry fish, and so in general 

 they are ; yet to our knowledge, in certain lochs, for 

 instance, that of the Lowes, in Selkirkshire, they al- 

 most rival the turbot, and should be cooked somewhat 

 in a similar manner. They are none the worse for 

 being kept a few days, especially if of any size. A 

 good eating pike ought to weigh at least from five to 

 twelve pounds the smaller ones being, without ex- 

 ception, bad. 



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