Pike catching a Swallow on the Wing. —A young gentleman walking in Mr. Longster's garden, at Malton, on the banks of the Derwent, saw a fine pike suddenly dart out of the river, and seize a swallow that was gliding along the surface of the water. The sun might be so low as to place the bird's shadow in advance of the bird itself, and thus give the pike an advantage. Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. vii. p. 43.

Pike and Dog.-A gentleman angling for pike, succeeded in taking a very large one, at which time he was encountered by a shepherd and his dog, he made the man a present of the fish, and while engaged in clearing his tackle he saw the dog, who had for some time been expressing his satisfaction by the most unequivocal signs, seat himself unsuspectingly with his tail at a tempting proximity to the jaws of the pike, which suddenly caught at it. The dog was terrified at such an appendage to his tail, he ran in every direction to free himself, even plunged into the river, but in vain, the hair had become so entangled in the fish's teeth. On landing, he ran to his master's cottage, and was released.

Dr. Smith.-Fish and Fisheries.

Pike and Fox.-At Dropmore, Bucks, (the seat of Lord Grenville,) the men employed in the gardens having observed the swans in an agitated

state, and several ducks having been lately stolen, they repaired to the lake, when they observed a fox approach the water, snatch up a fish, and run off with it; the party gave chase, and reynard dropped his prey, which proved a pike weighing three pounds and a half.

Windsor Express, June, 1832.

The perch is the best known of the osseous fishes of Europe, and is one of the most esteemed and striking in its character. It is both a river and a pond fish. As a river fish it appears to rise rather towards the source of the waters, than to descend to their outlets, to the ocean, being very inimical to salt water. It is seldom found at a greater depth under water than two or three feet. The perch are a very prolific fish. Picot mentions a million of spawn in one fish. They are taken, of nine pounds weight, in Lough Corrib, and afford very excellent sport in Whittlesey mere with minnows; very fine perch are also caught at Dagenham Breach. Editor.

The perch are to be found in all the temperate parts of Europe, and in great part of Asia; they are also found in Italy and Sweden, likewise in Great Britain, where they are very plentiful; it is not mentioned in the North Sea, nor in the Faunas of the Orkneys and Greenland. It is fished for, says Pallas, all over the Russian empire and Georgia; and if the perch does not exist in North America, there is at least a fish very like it. This fish inclines rather to the sources of a river, than to descend to the sea. Its motion in swimming is in bounds, and not in flocks, like other fish. A perch seven inches long is considered three years old. Baron Cuvier.

Perch are in general very tenacious of life; some of them have been known to survive a journey of sixty miles on dry straw. Bingley.

The various ways of catching perch, and their boldness in biting, afford the angler most excellent sport. The perch delight in clear swift rivers, with a gravelly bottom, not very deep water. They thrive best in ponds which have a brook or rivulet running through them. Their best baits are crabbs' claws, perch eyes, red worms, without knots, all well scoured, minnows, &c. &c.

The Editor had good sport at Frencham, with minnows.

Some time ago, two young gentlemen of Dumfries, while fishing at Dalswinton loch, having expended their stock of worms, &c. had recourse to the expedient of picking out the eyes of the dead perch, and attaching them to their hooks, a bait which the perch is known to take quite as readily as any other. One of the perch caught in this manner struggled so much when taken out of water, that the hook had no sooner been loosened from its mouth, than it came in contact with one of its own eyes, and actually tore it. The pain occasioned by this accident only made the fish struggle the harder, until at last it fairly slipped through the holder's fingers, and again escaped to its native element. The disappointed fisher, still retaining the eye of the aquatic fugitive, adjusted it on the hook, and again committed his line to the waters. After a very short interval, on pulling up the line, he was astonished to find the identical perch that had eluded his grasp a few minutes before, and which literally perished by swallowing its own eye. London Museum, Sept. 14, 1822.

I caught a large perch, weighing three pounds, by a hook passed through the back fin of a minnow; and lost several by the hook passed through the upper part of the mouth. Salmonia,

VARIETY OF PERCH.

Pike Perch.-This fish attains the length of three or four feet, and is sometimes found of the weight of twenty pounds, in Northern Europe, the Danube, and lakes of Saxony. It remains in deep water, and seldom approaches the surface. It is greatly prized, and the fishing for it is ardently followed in the North: it quickly dies when taken out of the water.

Perca Cabrilla.-This perch has only one fin on the back; the covers of the gills are guarded by two spines; the colours in stripes, red and blue; the sides marked with dusky bands.

Gent. Mag. vol. xli. p. 249.

Silver Perch.-A most beautiful fish, coloured after nature, may be seen in Mr. Bennet's fine work of the fishes of Ceylon.

Purple Perch is to be seen in the same collection.

Perca Labrax.-This perch has two fins; it is of a most delicious taste; grows to the weight of fifteen pounds; feeds on fish, sea-weeds, and shrimps, and is found in the Mediterranean.

Gentleman's Magazine, vol. xli. p. 249.