PIKE. 
159 
angler is never tired of reading and practising. But there is 
a trait in the habits of this fish which seems to require notice, 
as it has a bearing on a portion of the nature of all fishes, 
whether of the river or the sea. 
The Pike is observed sometimes to remain asleep in some 
quiet part of the stream, with such an entire suspension of its 
senses, that opportunity has been taken of snaring it with a 
noose, and thus lifting it on shore. This fact is more worthy 
of notice, as the proof generally of the existence of sleep in fishes 
appears very doubtful; and at least, if it exists at all, it is 
conducted in them in a different way from what we perceive 
in all other classes of animals. 
The Shark, Dolphin, and Pilot-fish will attend the devious 
motions of a ship for very long distances through a succession 
of numerous days and nights, without appearing to flag in their 
exertions, or to mistake the course of what they follow; which 
circumstances cannot be explained if during this time their 
consciousness of external objects had been suspended, or they 
had been asleep in the manner of other creatures. "VVe can 
imagine it possible indeed that separate portions of the brain 
may fall into a state of sleep alternately, while others remain 
awake; but the apparently more probable supposition is, that 
their sleep is a condition somewhat resembling what we know 
of human somnambulism; in which state the external senses 
are partially awake, while rest has fallen on some important 
portions of them. There are instances where men are known 
to have acted with vigilant intelligence in some particulars, 
■while much of their outward consciousness in other matters has 
been suspended; and so it may be with the inhabitants of the 
water; but the subject deserves more attention than it has yet 
received. This suspension of vigilance in the Pike as a proof 
of sleep is the more remarkable, as at other times its faculties 
are greatly on the alert, and its sense of hearing in particular 
is more acute than in the generality of fishes. 
When suflered to reach its full size the Pike has been found 
of the length of five or six feet ; and the aged individual 
mentioned by Gesner is said to have measured nineteen feet, 
with the weight of three hundred and fifty pounds. But the 
usual magnitude even of a large fish is much less than this, 
and Willughby thought it deserving of record that he had 
