224 MALACOPTERYGII. — ESOCID^E. 
throat of the finny tyrant that he has been unable 
to get rid of it, and both are taken. In some 
cases, however, the Pike, at the moment of reach- 
ing the surface, by means of a desperate lunge, 
relieves himself from his dangerous victim, and 
effects his escape. 
O’Gorman gives some examples of the same 
ravenous appetite. One which he killed with a 
Roach for a bait, had in his maw a Trout of four 
pounds weight, evidently just taken; and another 
seized a Trout of more than six pounds. But 
these examples yield to what he says he witnessed 
on Dromore, A large Pike having been hooked 
and nearly exhausted, was suddenly seized in the 
water and carried to the bottom. Every effort 
was made for nearly half an hour to bring this 
enormous fish to shore, but to no purpose; at 
length, however, by making a noise with, the 
oars and pulling at the line, the anglers succeeded. 
On getting up the Pike which they had been play- 
ing, it was all torn as if by a large dog, but really, 
doubtless, by another fish of the same species ; 
and as the Pike so illtreated weighed seventeen 
pounds, the rapacious fish that had held it so long 
must have been indeed a monster ! 
Mr. Lloyd informs us that it is not an uncom- 
mon thing in the North of Europe for even the 
voracious Pike to become the prey of a feathered 
enemy. Eagles frequently pounce on these fish 
when basking near the surface ; but when the 
Pike has been very large, he has been known to 
carry the Eagle under the water ; in which case 
the bird being unable to disengage his talons has 
been drowned. This traveller was informed by 
* The Practice of Angling, i. 318. 
