174 ESOCES. 



Pike spawn in March or April. During the 

 height of the season their colors are extremely 

 brilliant, being green diversified with bright yellow 

 spots ; at the close of the season the green fades 

 to a greyish hue ; and the yellow spots become 

 faint and indistinct. In the sultry hours of sum- 

 mer they are frequently to be seen dormant near 

 the surface ; in which situation they are some- 

 times taken by means of a noose of wire fastened 

 to a pole, ten or twelve feet long: the wire is 

 slowly passed over the head and branchial fins, 

 when the fish is landed by a sudden, strong jerk. 



The pike is partial to still, shaded water, where 

 it is not liable to be disturbed, and thrives better 

 in still water than running streams. Towards 

 winter it retires under banks which are over- 

 shadowed by bushes, stumps of trees, old roots, 

 and other objects which afford shelter and a bask- 

 ing place. 



Its appearance in ponds where none w 7 ere 

 ever placed, has been thought by some extraordi- 

 nary ; but we may easily account for this, by well 

 known data respecting the generation of fishes. In 

 these cases it is probable the ova w T ere swal- 

 lowed by some aquatic fowl, and subsequently 

 ejected into those ponds, as plants are known 

 to have been produced, from a similar dissemina- 

 tion. 



