146 PIKE AND OTHER COARSE FISH. 



into the water, it would seize it with great avidity, and rather than 

 loose its hold allow itself to be lifted out of the water. By constant 

 teasing in this manner it became very shy, and upon anyone ap- 

 proaching' the weir, dive^' to the bottom and secreted itself. In 

 order to prevent it being annoyed the owner put a haystack over 

 the mouth of the well, so that during one whole summer it lived in 

 total darkness.— John Joseph Briggs (King's Newton, Derby). 



My experience is not exactly' in the form 'J. B. H.' wishes, 

 though possibly what I can state of my own knowledge may be 

 acceptable. 



I placed in a mill-pond of about two acres, fed by a strong 

 stream, the finny denizens of which consisted entirely of carp, 

 roach, and perch, a small jack (secured with a wire about six inches 

 long). It was a female ; and once in each of the three following 

 years, and about the same period, I caught and weighed her. She 

 increased in each year exactly 4 lbs. I then turned in another, 

 which proved a male. The pair bred for three seasons j and in 

 walking round the water on any day in summer, I could see the 

 produce of those years (I once witnessed the operation of spawning) 

 basking. The first did not exceed i\ lb., the second \ lb., and the 

 third not 3 oz. The little fish would then be two and a half years, 

 one and a half years, and half a year old, or thereabout. I added 

 other larger fish, which I have reason to believe made equally 

 rapid growth as their parent fish, and 1 attribute it solely to a 

 change of water. 



It is commonly thought that pike take their prey by a stealthy 

 rush. It may generally be thus ; but I have in more than one 

 instance seen a most exciting chase. One especially rises to my 

 mind in this very water. A fish of about 4 lbs. had separated a 

 large roach from the shoal, and followed his prey as persistently, 

 turn for turn, as a greyhound would a hare. The fish were in sight 

 for probably two minutes, in shallow water, and neither seemed to 

 gain or lose an inch. Both were completely exhausted. What the 

 result was I never knew, as eventually they got into deep water, to 

 my great disappointment. Occasionally Master Jack would try to 

 check the course of Miss Silverside, by (I have no better term) . 

 sucking in water, and discharging it through the gills. This had 

 momentary effect ; but he ' took nothing by the motion,' as the 

 operation told on his own speed. On another occasion the fish 



succeeded in taking his prey, commonly the result, I believe. 



Glan Nant. 



