194 THE ANGLEE-NATUEALIST. 



There has always been a moot point connected with the 

 weight of this fish, viz. at what size it ceases to be a 

 "Jack" and becomes a "Pike." Walton says, at 2 feet; 

 Sir J. Hawkins, at 3 Ibs.; Mr. Wood, at 2 Ibs.; Salter, 

 at 3 Ibs. ; Hofland, at 3 Ibs., or when it exceeds 24 inches 

 in length ; " Piscator " (Practical Angler) says 4 Ibs. ; 

 " Glenfin," 3 Ibs. ; Mr. Elaine, 4 or 5 Ibs. ; Carpenter, 

 3 Ibs. ; " Ephemera," 4 Ibs. in his Notes to Walton, and 

 3 or 4 Ibs. in his ' Handbook of Angling ' ; whilst Captain 

 Williamson recognizes no distinction, but calls them in- 

 discriminately Pike and Jack. Under these circumstances, 

 and considering that the distinction unlike that between 

 the Salmon and Grilse is purely arbitrary, it would 

 appear to be desirable that for the future an 'act of uni- 

 formity' be passed; and as the majority of writers seem 

 to favour the 3 Ibs. qualification, that standard might 

 perhaps be adopted by general consent as the point at 

 which the young Pickerels ' cast off the Jack * and assume 

 the full dignities of Pike-hood. 



The rate of growth of the Pike has been by different 

 authors variously estimated at from 1 to 5 Ibs. a year; 

 but these estimates do not, generally, appear to be based 

 on any very reliable grounds, still less upon actual ex- 

 periment, and therefore go but a little way towards ad- 

 vancing our knowledge of the subject. My own expe- 

 rience leads me to believe that the growth-rate is sus- 

 ceptible of very great variation, depending upon the nature 

 of the water, and the amount of food supplied to the fish, 



