PIKE. 385 



Cam, " into which river," he says, " they come in great shoals, 

 doubtless from the fens in the neighbourhood of Ely, where 

 they are bred." 



Bloch says the young reach the length of eight to ten 

 inches the first year; twelve to fourteen the second; eighteen 

 to twenty inches the third ; and there are proofs on record, 

 that from this last size, Pike, if well supplied with food, 

 will grow at the rate of four pounds'' weight a year, for six 

 or seven successive years. Rapid growth requires to be 

 sustained by a corresponding proportion of food, and the 

 Pike has always been remarkable for extraordinary voracity. 

 " Eight Pike, of about five pounds' weight each, consumed 

 nearly eight hundred Gudgeons in three weeks ; and the 

 appetite of one of these Pike," says Mr. Jesse, " was almost 

 insatiable. One morning I threw to him, one after another, 

 five Roach, each about four inches in length : he swallowed 

 four of them, and kept the fifth in his mouth for about 

 a quarter of an hour, when it also disappeared." Digestion 

 in the Pike goes on very rapidly, and they are therefore 

 most expensive fish to maintain. In default of a sufficient 

 quantity of other fishes to satisfy them, moor-hens, ducks, 

 and indeed any animals of small size, whether alive or dead, 

 are constantly consumed : their boldness and voracity are 

 equally proverbial. Dr. Plot relates, that at Lord Gower's 

 canal at Trentham, a Pike seized the head of a swan as 

 she was feeding under water, and gorged so much of it as 

 killed them both : the servants perceiving the swan with 

 its head under water for a longer time than usual, took 

 the boat, and found both swan and Pike dead. Gesner 

 relates that a Pike in the Rhone seized on the lips of a 

 mule that was brought to water, and that the beast drew 

 the fish out before it could disengage itself, Walton was 

 assured by his friend Mr. Segrave, who kept tame otters, 

 VOL. I. i2 c 



