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 reaching 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 playing, 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![1]
Mr. Lloyd informs us that it is not an uncommon 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.
