and take up so much of your attention, as to tell you, that the best of Pikes are noted to be in Rivers, next, those in great Ponds, or Meres, and the worst in small Ponds.

But before I proceed further, I am to tell you that there is a great antipathy betwixt the Pike and some Frogs; and this may appear to the reader of Dubravius, a Bishop in Bohemia, who in his book of Fish and Fish-ponds, relates what he says he saw with his own eyes, and could not forbear to tell the reader. Which was :

"As he and the Bishop Thurzo were walking by " a large pond in Bohemia, they saw a Frog, when "the Pike lay very sleepily and quiet by the shore"side, leap upon his head, and the Frog having "expressed malice or anger by his swollen cheeks " and staring eyes, did stretch out his legs and em"braced the Pike's head, and presently reached "them to his eyes, tearing with them and his teeth "those tender parts; the Pike, moved with anguish, moves up and down the water, and rubs "himself against weeds, and whatever he thought

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might quit him of his enemy; but all in vain, for "the Frog did continue to ride triumphantly, and "to bite and torment the Pike, till his strength “failed, and then the Frog sunk with the Pike to "the bottom of the water; then presently the Frog "appeared again at the top and croaked, and "seemed to rejoice like a conqueror, after which "he presently retired to his secret hole. The Bi"shop, that had beheld the battle, called his fisher

"man to fetch his nets, and by all means to get the "Pike, that they might declare what had happened: “and the Pike was drawn forth, and both his eyes “eaten out, at which when they began to wonder, "the fisherman wished them to forbear, and as“sured them he was certain that Pikes were often "so served."

I told this, which is to be read in the Sixth Chapter of the First Book of Dubravius, unto a friend, who replied, “It was as improbable as to have the mouse “scratch out the cat's eyes." But he did not consider, that there be Fishing Frogs, which the Dalmatians call the Water-devil, of which I might tell you as wonderful a story, but I shall tell you, that 'tis not to be doubted, but that there be some Frogs so fearful of the Water-snake, that, when they swim in a place in which they fear to meet with him, they then get a reed across into their mouths, which, if they two meet by accident, secures the Frog from the strength and malice of the Snake; and note, that the Frog usually swims the fastest of the two.

And let me tell you, that as there be Water and Land-Frogs, so there be Land and Water-snakes. Concerning which, take this observation, that the Land-snake breeds and hatches her eggs, which become young snakes, in some old dunghill, or a like hot place; but the Water-snake, which is not venomous, and as I have been assured by a great observer of such secrets, does not hatch but breed her young alive, which she does not then forsake, but bides with them, and in case of danger will

take them all into her mouth, and swim away from any apprehended danger, and then let them out again when she thinks all danger to be past; these be accidents that we Anglers sometimes see, and often talk of.

But whither am I going? I had almost lost myself by remembering the discourse of Dubravius. I will therefore stop here, and tell you according to my promise how to catch this PIKE.

His feeding is usually of fish or frogs, and sometimes a weed of his own called Pickerel-weed. Of which I told you some think some Pikes are bred; for they have observed, that where none have been put into ponds, yet they have there found many: and that there has been plenty of that weed in those ponds, and that that weed both breeds and feeds

them; but whether those Pikes so bred will ever breed by generation as the others do, I shall leave to the disquisitions of men of more curiosity and ⚫ leisure than I profess myself to have; and shall proceed to tell you that you may fish for a Pike, either with a Ledger or a Walking-bait; and you are to note, that I call that a Ledger-bait, which is fixed or made to rest in one certain place when you shall be absent from it: and I call that a Walkingbait, which you take with you, and have ever in motion. Concerning which two, I shall give you this direction; that your Ledger-bait is best to be a living bait, though a dead one may catch, whether it be a fish or a frog; and that you may make them live the longer, you may, or indeed you must, take this course.

First, for your live-bait of fish, a Roach or Dace is, I think, best and most tempting, and a Pearch is the longest lived on a hook, and having cut off his fin on his back, which may be done without hurting him, you must take your knife, which cannot be too sharp, and betwixt the head and the fin on the back, cut or make an incision, or such a scar, as you may put the arming-wire of your hook into it, with as little bruising or hurting the fish as art and diligence will enable you to do; and so carrying your arming-wire along his back, unto, or near the tail of your fish, betwixt the skin and the body of it, draw out that wire or arming of your hook at another scar near to his tail: then tie him about it

with thread, but no harder than of necessity to prevent hurting the fish; and the better to avoid hurting the fish, some have a kind of probe to open the way, for the more easy entrance and passage of your wire or arming: but as for these, time, and a little experience, will teach you better than I can by words; therefore I will for the present say no more of this, but come next to give you some directions how to bait your hook with a Frog.

VEN. But, good Master, did you not say even now, that some Frogs were venomous, and is it not dangerous to touch them?

Pisc. Yes, but I will give you some rules or cautions concerning them: and first, you are to note, that there are two kinds of Frogs; that is to say, if I may so express myself, a Flesh, and a Fishfrog by Flesh-frogs, I mean frogs that breed and live on the land; and of these there be several sorts also, and of several colours, some being speckled, some greenish, some blackish, or brown: the Green-Frog, which is a small one, is by Topsell taken to be venomous; and so is the Padock or Frog-padock, which usually keeps or breeds on the land, and is very large, and bony, and big, especially the she-frog of that kind; yet these will sometimes come into the water, but it is not often; and the Land-frogs are some of them observed by him, to breed by laying eggs: and others to breed of the slime and dust of the earth, and that in Winter they turn to slime again, and that the next Summer that very slime returns to be a living creature; this