PIK 
equence; all are indifcnminately devoured: fo 
chat every fifh owes it's fafety to it's minutenefs, 
it's celerity, or it's courage. Nor does the Pike 
confine it's appetite to fifh alone; it devours 
frogs; and frequently draws d6wn water-rats and 
young ducks as they fwim about : and Gefner tells 
us that a famifhcd Pike once feized a mule by the 
nofe, when drinking; and was not difenga»ed till 
the animal flung it on fliore. So great is it's ra- 
pacity, that it will contend with the otter for his 
prey,' and even endeavour to force it from him. 
On this account it is dreaded by all other fi(h: 
and the fmaller kinds fhew the fame deteftation 
and uneafinefs at the fight of their tyrant as little 
birds at the approach of the hawk or the owl ; for 
when the Pike lies afleep near the furface of the 
■water, as it com.monly does, the leffer filh are ob- 
ferved to fwim round it in vaft numbers, with a 
mixture of caution and terror. 
Pikes are frequently caught in a very peculiar 
manner in the (hallow water of the Lincolnihire 
fens. The fiflierman ufes what is called a crown 
net, which is no other than a hemifpherical baf- 
ket, open at the top and bottom. He ftands at 
the end of one of the little fen -boats, and fre- 
quently lets his bafket down to the bottom of the 
water; then poking a ftick into it, difcovers whe- 
ther he has had any fuccefs by the ftriking of the 
fifh ; and after this manner vaft numbers are taken. 
The longevity of the Pike is no lefs remarkable 
than it's voracity. Rzaczynfki tells us of one 
that was ninety years old; while Gefner relates 
that, in the year 1497, a Pike was taken at Hail- 
brun, in Swabia, with a brazen ring affixed to it, 
on which the following words were engraven in 
Greek charafters: * I am the fifh which was firft 
of all put into this lake by the hands of the gover- 
nor of the univerfe, Frederick II. the 5th of Oc- 
tober 1230.' 
PixE, Gar. This fifh, frequently denominated 
the Sea- needle, comes in fhoals on the Britifh 
coafts about the beginning of fummer, preceding 
the mack;ire], which it refembles in tafte. It 
fometimcs grows to the length of three feet and 
upwards. Thejaws are long, flender, and fiiarp- 
pointed; the under extends confiderably farther 
than the upper; and the edges of both are armed 
with numbers of fnort, flender teeth. The infide 
of the mouth is of a purple colour; the eyes are 
large, with filvery irides; and the noftrils are wide 
and round. The body is flender; the belly is 
quite flat; and the lateral lines are rough. The 
pe&oral fins confift of fourteen rays, the ventral of 
leven, the dorfal of fixteen, and the anal of twenty- 
one; and the tail is much forked. 
When this fifli remains in the water, it's colours 
are extremely beautiful: the back is of a fine 
green, beneath which appears a rich changeable 
blue and purple;, and the fides and belly are of a 
fine filvery hue. 
Pike, Saury; the Saurus of Rondeletius, and 
the Skipper of the Cornifh. This fifli is about 
eleven inches long: the nofe is flender; the jaws 
are produced, and of equal lengths; and the up- 
per mandible is flightly incurvated. The eyes 
are large; and the body is anguilliform, becoming 
fuddenly very fmall towards the tail. On the 
lower part of the back there is a fmall fin; anc 
betv/een it and the tail there are fix fpurious ones, 
like thofe of the mackarel : correfponding with 
thefe are the anal fin below, and fix fpurious 
pn«j the pedoral and ventral fins are very fmall; 
P I L 
and the tall is much, bifid. The back is dufky? 
and the belly is bright and filvery. 
Great numbers of thefe fifh are fometimes feen 
on the coafts of Scotland. Rondeletius defcribes 
them as natives of the Mediterranean; but fpeaks 
of them as a rare kind. 
PILARIS. An appellation by which feme 
ornithologiflrs exprefs the field-fare. 
PILCHARD. This fifh lias a general refem- 
blance to the herring; but differs from it very 
efTentially in feveral particulars. The body of 
the Pilchard is lefs comprefTed than that of the 
herring, thicker, and rounder; the nofe is lliorter 
in proportion, and turns up; and the under-jaw is 
alfo fhorter: the back is more elevated; and the 
belly is lefs fharp. The dorfal fin of the Pilch- 
ard is placed exactly in the centre of gravity j fo 
that, when taken up by it, the body preferves an 
equilibrium; whereas that of the herring dips at 
the head. The fcales of the Pilchard adhere very 
clofely; whereas thofe of the herring very eafily 
drop off. The Pilchard is generally lefs than the 
herring; though the former is fatteft, as well as 
fulleftofoil. 
Thefe fifli appear in vaft fhoals of? the Cornifh 
coafts about the middle of July, and retire to- 
wards the beginning of winter. Their brumal 
retreat is the fame with that of herrings, as well as 
their motives for migrating: and they affedl, dur- 
ing fummer, a warmer latitude; for they are not 
found in any quantities on any of the Britifh coafts 
except thofe of Cornwall. 
The arrival of Pilchards is announced nearly 
by the fame tokens as that of herrings. Preda- 
ceous birds and fifhes conftantly attend their pfo- 
grefs; and the whole country prepare to reap the 
advantages of this valuable treafure providentially 
thrown in their way. The natives fometimcs in- 
clofe a bay feveral miles in extent xiith their nets< 
called feines. In order to direS: them in their 
operations, feveral perfons, denominated huers, 
are ftationed on en'' :nccs near the fliore: thefe, 
with brooms in their hands, exhibit fignals how 
far the nets may be extended, and where the 
fhoals of Pilchards are fituated; which they are 
enabled to do from obferving the colour of the 
water, which aflTumes a particular tincture from 
the fifh under it. By thefe means they frequently 
take twelve or fifteen barrels of them at one 
draught, which they place in heaps on the fhorei 
and it often happens that the quantity caught ex- 
ceeds the fait or the utenfils for curing them; and 
then they are applied to the purpofes of manure. 
This fifhery employs not only great numbers 
of men at fea, training them to naval affairs; but 
alfo numbers of women and children at land, in 
faking and curing the Pilchards; and in making 
boats, nets, ropes, and cafks, for the purpofes of 
taking and preparing them for fale. The poor 
are fed with the fuperfluityof thefe captures; the 
land is manured with the offals j the merchant 
finds the gain of commiffion; and the fiflier- 
man a comfortable fubfiftence from his labour. 
' Ships,' fays Dr. Borlafe, * are often freighted 
thither with fait, and into foreign countries with 
the fifh, carrying off at the fame time a great part 
of our tin. The ufual produce of the number of 
hogfheads expoited for ten years, from 1747 to 
1756 inclufive, amounted to near thirty thoufand 
hogflieads each year; and every hogfhead has 
amounted, on an average, to the price of one 
pound thirteen fliillings and three-pence. Thus 
the 
