PIKE. 
183 
confine its appetite to frogs and fishes, but will de- 
vour the water-rat, and sometimes most unnaturally 
prey upon its own species ; Mr. Pennant having 
seen one that was choked by attempting to swallow 
another that proved too large a morsel. The fol- 
lowing singular fact rests upon good authority. At 
Lord Gower’s canal at Trentham a pike seized the 
head of a swan as she was feeding under water, and 
gorged so much of it as killed them both. A similar 
instance happened at the seat of Sir James Lowther 
some years ago, where a swan was perceived in the 
same situation, with her head under water, by 
some men who passed the canal in the morning, 
and returned by the same at night. The swan 
was drawn out with a large pike attached to her 
neck, great part of which it had contrived to swal- 
low. 
The great voracity of this fish has been ex- 
agerated by Gesner, who tells us, that a famished 
pike in the Rhone seized on the lips of a mule 
that was brought to water, and that the beast drew 
the fish out before it could disengage itself: that 
people have been bitten by these voracious crea- 
tures while they were washing their legs ; and that 
they will even contend together for their prey, and 
endeavour to force it out of each others mouth. 
The smaller fish are very uneasy in the presence 
of this tyrant, and are observed, when the pike lies 
dormant near the surface, to swim round him in 
vast numbers, and in great anxiety. They often 
