THE PIKE FAMILY 221 



Zoological Gardens. In the Aquarium at this institution 

 was a glass tank containing the Pike to which I have 

 elsewhere alluded. During the night the tank broke^ and 

 the Pike, being thus left dry, was discovered the next 

 morning by the keeper and his assistant making its way 

 steadily towards a small piece of water at some dis- 

 tance. I measured the space between the tank and the 

 spot reached by the fish, and found it to be a little more 

 than 24 yards. The keeper informed me that when picked 

 up the Pike had still plenty of strength remaining and 

 was quite lively, and he had no doubt that, if left to itself, 

 it would have succeeded in reaching its destination, — a 

 feat, however, which it would probably have had reason to 

 regret, as the water in question was nothing less than the 

 Otters' pond. 



Walton was too close an observer of the habits of fish 

 not to notice the mysterious appearance of Pike in un- 

 stocked waters ; but he was driven to account for it by 

 adopting one of the many fallacies held by Gesner and his 

 contemporaries. " It has been observed," he says, " that 

 where none (Pike) have been put into ponds, yet they have 



there found many 'tis not to be doubted but that they 



are bred some by generation, and some not, as namely of a 

 weed called pickerel- weed, — unless learned Gesner be much 

 mistaken; for he says this weed and other glutinous 

 matter, with the help of the sun's heat, in some particular 

 months and some ponds apted for it by nature, do become 

 Pikes. But doubtless divers Pikes are bred after this 



