188 NOTES. 



ever he turned ; but being blind on the wounded side 

 of its skull, it always appeared agitated when it had 

 that side towards the bank as it could not then see its 

 benefactor. On the next day he took some young 

 friends down to see the fish, which came to him as 

 usual ; and at length he actually taught the pike to 

 come to him at his whistle and feed out of his hands. 

 With other persons it continued as shy as fish usually 

 are. He (Dr. Warwick) thought this a most remark- 

 able instance of gratitude in a fish for a benefit re- 

 ceived ; and, as it always came at his whistle, it proved 

 also, what he had previously, with other naturalists, 

 disbelieved, that fishes are sensible to sound." Pro- 

 ceedings of the Literary and Philosophical Society of 

 Liverpool, No. IV., p. 76. We give this extraordi- 

 nary account as we found it, merely remarking that if 

 the pike tribe is generally endowed with such wonder- 

 ful sagacity, the knowledge of the fact would go far to 

 banish the cruel description of angling practised in the 

 taking of this fish. It certainly does not appear that the 

 pike preys on anything in sheer wantonness, like the 

 Salmonidse, and other fish, which often overwhelm and 

 play with floating insects in sport. As to the hearing 

 of fishes, as maintained by Dr. Warwick, we doubt the 

 fact, and would refer the reader to a chapter on this 

 subject in Mr. Ronalds's beautiful book, " The Fly- 

 fisher's Entomology ;" nevertheless, we bear constantly 

 in mind the maxim of Christopher North, that when 

 near the river-side it is not advisable " to blow your 

 nose like a bagman, nor tramp up and down the bank 



