Class IV. COMMON PIKE. 425 



were introduced into England in the reign of 

 Henry VIII. in 1537. They were so rare, 

 that a pike was sold for double the price of a 

 house-lamb in February, and a pickerel for 

 more than a fat capon. How far this may be 

 depended on, I cannot say, for this fish is men- 

 tioned in the Boke of St. Albons, printed in the 

 year 1496*, and is not there spoken of as a 

 scarce fish, as was then the case with respect to 

 the carp. Great numbers of pike were dressed 

 in the year 1466, at the great feast given by 

 George Neoil, Archbishop of York.* 



All writers who treat of this species bring 

 instances of its vast voraciousness. We have 

 known one that was choaked by attempting to 

 swallow another of its own species that proved 

 too large a morsel ; yet its jaws are very loosely 

 connected, and have on each side an additional 

 bone like the jaw of a viper, which renders 

 them capable of greater distension when it 

 swallows its prey. It does not confine itself to 

 feed on fish and frogs ; it will devour the water 

 rat, and draw down the young ducks as they are 

 swimming about. In a manuscript note, p. 

 244, of a copy of Plofs History of Stafford- 



* " Pikes" are mentioned in an act of the sixth year of the 

 reign of Richard II. cap. xi. which relates to the forestalling of 

 fish. Ed. 



