THE PIKE FAMILY. 197 



neighbourliood of Great Marlow. He observed a Pike 

 lying in the weeds in an apparently semitorpid condition, 

 and succeeded, with the aid of a landing-net, in securing it, 

 when a large eel was found to be sticking in its throat, the 

 head portion of which was actually swallowed and partially 

 digested, whilst the tail, still alive and twisting, protruded 

 from the jaws. The same gentleman caught in the Thames 

 a Pike weighing 9 lbs. with a moorhen in its gullet, by which 

 it was being suffocated ; and on another occasion a fish of 

 five pounds that had one of three pounds half swallowed, 

 but made, notwithstanding, an effort to take his spinning- 

 bait, and was hooked foul in the attempt. 



Since the above was put into type, I have been favoured 

 by Captain S, H. Salvin with a curious pendant to one of 

 these anecdotes. Captain Salvin had until recently in his 

 possession a tame Cormorant, which had been for many 

 years trained to catch fish for his master by diving, — 

 amongst other odd captures made by it being that of a 

 Water-hen, which it secured and brought to the bank after 

 an exciting chase. Within the last few months, however, 

 the career of the feathered angler has been tragically cut 

 short : whilst diving one day as usual, he was seized and 

 crushed to death by a Jack, which was itself choked in its 

 endeavours to swallow him. 



The weight of this Jack was only 2| lbs. 



The Pike is a true cosmopolitan in his feeding. Fish, 

 flesh, and fowl are alike acceptable to him : animal, mineral, 

 and vegetable — his charity embraces them all. Nothing, 



