PIKE. 31 



devoured all its smaller compeers. In fact, this 

 devouring capacity of the fish, and its great 

 voracity, are among its chief characteristics. The 

 writer once saw a large jack swimming about 

 with a smaller one held crosswise in its jaws, 

 and has frequently noticed personal combats, with 

 attempts at gorging, by fish of nearly equal size. 

 Once in particular was this ferocious quality ex- 

 hibited, under what might have been thought 

 unlikely conditions. We had been trolling in a 

 mountain tarn, and had taken several fish, which 

 were thrown into the water-covered bottom of an 

 old, slimy punt. Even in this element one pike 

 attempted to swallow another of about its own 

 size, succeeding so far as to get the smaller 

 fish well into its throat. And it may here be 

 stated that what once gets impacted into a pike's 

 maw is not likely to return not alone by reason 

 of the ferocity already referred to, but more on 

 account of the eel- trap -like arrangement of its 

 fine, formidable teeth. Upon one occasion, two 

 pike were taken in Loch Tay, the one firmly 

 impacted in the mouth of the other. The head 

 of the one was tightly inserted up to the termina- 

 tion of its gill, and part of the first lower fin was 

 in the mouth of the larger one. The fish to- 

 gether weighed nineteen pounds. A couple of 

 pike were taken by a lad in a somewhat similar 



