AUTHOR'S EXPERIENCE. 337 



small stick ; but I also noted that if I made myself 

 visible, and remained silent, while handing down a 

 few fish mouthfuls, that the whole pack followed as 

 readily as if I had sounded the mimic gong. Nay, 

 whether I offered any bribe or not, and silently ap- 

 proached their crystal abode, the whole family would 

 immediately flock in great haste towards me. 



The tameness of these little creatures was some- 

 what remarkable. On numberless occasions I have 

 taken them up in the palm of my hand, without the 

 slightest opposition on their part, and then stroked 

 and smoothed them on the back, as I would do a 

 bird. At such times they made a kind of musical 

 chirp, expressive of pleasurable emotion, and seemed 

 in no hurry to escape into their native element even 

 when I laid my hand in the water, 



Such delightful confidence was always rewarded 

 with some dainty. 



Dr. Warwick relates an instance of instinct and 

 intelligence in the Pike, which is so remarkable 

 that I am sure my readers will be pleased to be made 

 acquainted with it. I am the more induced to trans- 

 fer it to these pages, from the remarks with which 

 the doctor closes his narrative. From reasons 

 stated above, the reader will be prepared to learn 

 that I do not consider the statements therein ad- 

 vanced that fishes are really sensible to sound by 

 any means conclusive. 



When residing at Dunham, the seat of the Earl of 

 22 



