THE PIKE. 273 



middle ray half the length of the longest ray in the same fin ; ventral 

 fins situated half-way between the point of the lower jaw and the 

 tip of the long caudal ray, about equalling the length of the pecto- 

 rals ; pectorals as long as from the point of the upper jaw to the 

 middle of the eye; the fifth and sixth ray the longest; operculum 

 and preoperculum rounded ; eyes moderate, placed high on the head, 

 half-way between the point of the. snout, and the posterior margin of 

 the operculum ; mouth large, under jaw the longest ; vomer, palatines, 

 tongue, intermaxillaries, pharyngeans, and branchial arches, fur- 

 nished with sharp teeth ; also a row of teeth on the lower jaw, those 

 on the sides much the longest ; cheeks, upper part of the operculum, 

 and body, covered with small adherent scales, invested in a mucous 

 secretion ; lateral line nearly straight, very indistinct. Number of 

 fin rays — 



D. 18 ; P. 14; V. 10; A. 17 ; C. 19 ; B. 14. 



This fish is said to grow with great rapidity. " In the 

 first year it is often from eight to ten inches long ; the second 

 year from twelve to fourteen, and in the third year from 

 eighteen to twenty inches in length. 11 Individuals are re- 

 corded as measuring from five to nine feet in length. They 

 frequently weigh above thirty pounds in the lakes of the 

 north of England ; and Dr Grierson mentions one taken 

 in Loch Ken in Galloway, which weighed sixty-one pounds. 

 The most remarkable pike, however, of which we have any 

 authentic account, is that caught at Kaiserslautern, near 

 Manheim, in 1497, which was nearly nineteen feet in length, 

 and weighed 340 pounds. It was supposed to have been 

 upwards of 235 years old. 11 



The pike occurs in great abundance in Asia and North 

 America, and inhabits almost all the fresh- waters of Europe, 

 but seems to flourish most in the northern and middlecounties 

 It is one of the most voracious and destructive fish in ex- 

 istence ; there seems indeed to be no bounds to its glut- 

 tony, for it devours indiscriminately whatever edible sub- 

 stance falls in its way, and almost every animal it is able 

 to subdue This fish is not only gifted with strength, 



VOL. VII. s 



