338 AN INTELLIGENT PIKE-FISH. 



Stamford and Warrington, lie (Dr, Warwick), was 

 walking one evening in the park, and came to a 

 pond where fish intended for the table were tem- 

 porarily kept. He took particular notice of a fine 

 pike of about six pounds weight, which, when it 

 observed him, darted hastily away. In so doing 

 it struck its head against a tenterhook in a post (of 

 which there were several in the pond, placed to pre- 

 vent poaching), and, as it afterwards appeared, frac- 

 tured its skull, and turned the optic nerve on one 

 side. The agony evinced by the animal appeared 

 most horrible. It rushed to the bottom, and boring 

 its head into the mud, whirled itself round with such 

 velocity that it was almost lost to sight for a short 

 interval. It then plunged about the pond, and at 

 length threw itself completely out of the water on 

 to the bank. He (the doctor) went and examined 

 it, and found that a veiy small portion of the brain 

 was protruding from the fracture in the skull. He 

 then carefully replaced this, and with a small silver 

 toothpick raised the indented portion of the skull. 

 The fish remained still for a short time, and he then 

 put it again in the pond. It appeared at first a good 

 deal relieved, but in a few minutes it again darted 

 and plunged about until it threw itself out of the 

 water a second time. A second time Dr. Warwick 

 did what he could to relieve it, and again put it in 

 the water. It continued for several times to throw 

 itself out of the pond, and with the assistance of the 



