172 DARWINISM AND THE PROBLEMS OF LIFE 



white fishes which feed on green plants, and the carps 

 that stick their heads in the mud to find the plants, and 

 especially tiny animals, they are all predatory animals, 

 and do not even spare their own species. Anglers have 

 often found a pike in the stomach of another one, and a 

 third pike inside the second one. The pike is the most 

 voracious of the fishes, and is rightly described as the 

 shark of inland waters. It is even dangerous to small 

 ducks ; and young sand-martins, sitting on a branch over 

 the water, often find their grave in its stomach. It has 

 even been seen to suffocate swans by dragging them 

 under water. It is from one to two yards long, and 

 weighs up to 70 pounds. It generally chooses the night 

 for its predatory excursions. During the day it hides 

 amongst vegetation, and only waylays an occasional 

 victim. If one comes near it, it darts out, gets its 

 fang-teeth into it, releases, and then grasps again and 

 swallows it. If the victim hurries away, it leaps after 

 it, and is very active in every respect. It fears only 

 the stickle-back and the perch, on account of their 

 spikes ; but it sometimes captures even the perch, and 

 holds it until its spikes drop from exhaustion, and then 

 swallows it. 



The perch itself, however, comes next to the pike in 

 voracity. It waylays small fishes behind the pillars of 

 bridges or at the edge. When a swarm of small fishes 

 approaches, it darts amongst them like a hawk, and 

 seizes its victim. The perch-pike is less murderous ; in 

 spite of its size, it is not as quick as the ordinary perch, 

 and its gullet is not expansive enough to take in large 

 pieces. But the smooth eel-pout, with flat head and 



