THE PIKE FAMILY. 191 



pers " : — " The Empress of Jehan-Quire used to divert 



herself with feeding tame fish in her canals, some of which 



were, many years afterwards, known by the fillets of gold 



which she had caused to be put around them." 



* * * * 



" Her birds' new plumage to behold, 

 And the gay gleaming fishes count 

 She left all filleted with gold, 



Shooting around their jasper fount." 



Hinda. 



In natural connexion with this part of the subject — the 

 limit of age in the Pike — occurs that of its probable growth 

 and size when suffered to attain to full development. It 

 has been the custom amongst modern writers to affect a 

 civil disbelief in the accounts of very large Pike handed 

 down to us by numerous credible witnesses ; and the pre- 

 vailing impression appears to be that a weight of 30 or 40 

 lbs. is about the real maximum attained. I could easily 

 refer, however, to many attested examples of Pike having 

 been taken in the British Islands up to the weight of 70, 

 80, and even 90 lbs. ; but a single instance, too well au- 

 thenticated to admit of doubt, wiU suffice. I refer to the 

 case of the Kenmure Pike — mentioned also by Daniel in 

 his 'Rural Sports,' and by Dr. Grierson and other authors 

 — the weight of which was 72 lbs. It was taken in Loch 

 Ken, Galloway, a sheet of water belonging to the Castle of 

 Kenmure, where the head of the fish is still preserved, and 

 may be seen by any one sufficiently curious or sceptical to 

 desire ocular demonstration. 



