488 THE SALMON. 
a gudgeon of its own size, and to swim about quite unconcernedly with the 
tail of its victim protruding from its mouth. Had it been suffered to live, 
it would probably have finished the gudgeon in course of time, as the head 
was found to have been partially digested. Three water-rats have been 
found in the stomach of one Pike, accompanied by the remains of a bird 
too far decomposed to be recognizable, but supposed to be the remnants of 
a duck. So universal is the appetite of this fish, that it has even been 
known to seize the paste bait which had been used for other and less 
voracious inhabitants of the waters. 
When the Pike attains a tolerable size, it takes possession of some 
particular spot in the bank, usually a kind of hole or cave which is sheltered 
by overhanging soil or roots, and affords a lair where it can lurk in 
readiness to pounce upon its passing prey. 
The Pike seems to have no limit to its size, for it is a very long-lived fish, 
and seems always to increase in dimensions provided it be well supplied 
with food. A fish of ten or twelve pounds’ weight is considered to be a fine 
specimen, though there have been examples where the Pike has attained 
more than five times the latter weight. These huge fishes of siaty or 
seventy pounds are, however, of little value for the table. 
The colour of the Pike is olive-brown on the back, taking a lighter hue on 
the sides, and being variegated with green and yellow. The abdomen is 
silvery white. : 
THE SALMON is undoubtedly the king of British river-fish ; not so much 
for its dimensions, which are exceeded by one or two giant members of the 
———— finny tribe, but for the 
silvery sheen of its 
glittering scales, its 
wonderful dash and 
activity, affording mag- 
nificent sport to the 
angler, the interesting 
nature of its life from 
the egg to full maturity, 
and last, but not least, 
for the exquisite flavour 
and nutritive character 
of its flesh. 
In former days, be- 
SALMON.—(Salmo Salar.) fore civilization had 
substituted man and 
his dwellings for the 
broad meadows and their furred and feathered inmates, the Salmon 
was found in many an English river. Now, however, there are but few 
streams where this splendid fish can be seen, for in the greater number of 
British rivers the water has been so defiled by human agency, that the 
fastidious Salmon will not suffer itself to be poisoned by such hateful mixture 
of evil odours and polluted waters ; and in the few streams where the water 
is still sufficiently pure for the Salmon to venture into them, the array of 
nets, weirs, and all kinds of Salmon traps is so tremendous, that not one 
tithe of the normal number are now found in them. 
The Salmon is a migratory fish, annually leaving the sea, its proper 
residence, and proceeding for many miles up rivers for the purpose of 
depositing its spawn. This duty having been accomplished, it returns to the 
sea in the spring. The perseverance of this fish in working its way up the 
stream is perfectly wonderful, No stream is rapid enough to daunt it, nor 
