PINE, Esor, a genus of malacopterous fishes, including all the species of the family as restricted by Milder. and characterized by an elongated body, covered with scales, a depressed head, and broad blunt muzzle, with very large •mouth, abundantly furnished with teeth of various sizes on the jaws, palatine bones, and vomer; no adipose fin; and the dorsal fin placed very far back over the anal fin. The species are not numerous; they are all inhabitants of fresh waters in the northern hemisphere. Only one is found in Europe, the COMMON PINE (E. /ucius), a native also of As:a and North America. It is very generally diffused over Europe, and is abundant even in its most northern regions; and is now abundant in lakes, ponds, and slow rivers in all parts of the British islands, although it is supposed not to be truly indigenous to them, but introduced. The statement, which has been often made, however, that it was intro dueed in the reign of Henry VIII., is certainly erroneous, as there is evidence of its exist ence in England at a much earlier dale. Edward I., graciously regnlating the price of commodities for his subjects, fixed the price of the pikr higher than that of the salmon, and ten times higher than that of the turbot and the cod, from which we may perhaps infer its comparative rarity at that period. Some of the waters in the fenny districts of England are peculiarly' adapted to pike, which are there found in quantity, and of superior quality. • The pike is of a dusky olive-brown color on the upper parts, becoming lighter and mottled With green and yellow on the sides, and passing into silvery white on the belly; the fins brown: the larger fins mottled with white, yellow, and dark green. The tail-fin is forked. The pike grows to a large size, attaining a weight of 60 or 70 pounds, although the stories of pikes much larger than this are liable to suspicion. The excessive voracity of the pike has long been proverbial. No animal substance which it can swallow. and which is Capable of being digested, seems to be unpalatable to it; and no animal large enough to attract its attention, and which it can master, escapes being devoured. Mr, Jesse mentions an in,tance of eight- pike, of about five pounds' weight each. consuming nearly 800 gudgeons iu three weeks; and one of them devoured four roach, each about four in. in length, in rapid succession, and seized the fifth, but kept it in hismouth for about a quarter of an hour before swallowing it. The pike readily attacks a fish of own its size. and preys freely on the smaller of its own species Frogs are frequent prey; water-rats and ducklings are sometimes devoured. A large pike often takes possession of a particular hole in the bank of a river, from which it issues to seine tiny creature that may pass.—The pike spawns in the beginning of spring, fur that pur narrow creek:, and ditches, in which it is very easily caught by nets. Large quantities are caught at the spawning season in Lapland, and dried for future use.
The pike grows very rapidly when the supply of food is abundant, reaching a length of •8 to 10 inches in its first year, 12 to 14 in the second, 18 to 20 in the third, and after wards increasing for a number of years at the rate of about four pounds every year. A young pike is sometimes called a jack or pickerel. The name lace (Lat. luciu8) is still known as an English name of the pike. The Scotch name is gedd, a name similar to those in the Scandinavian languages.
The flesh of the pike is much esteemed, but that of pikes of moderate size is reckoned superior to that of small, or of very large ones.
The pike is not only caught by means of nets, but by the rod, by set lines, and by trimmers or liggers, which may he briefly described as floats with lines attached to them, the line being so fastened that the bait swims at a prOper depth, and that some yards of line run out when the bait is taken. The floats are sometimes made of wood or cork, sometimes of bundles or rushes, sometimes of bottles. In angling for pike various baits are used, such as a minnow, par, or other small fish, a portion of a fish, etc., and some times an artificial fly is employed with great success, made of two large hooks tied together, and adorned with two moons from a peacock's tail. The angler unaccustomed to the pike must be cautioned as to the manner of the taking the hook from its mouth, as any rashness may lead to severe laceration of his hand by its teeth. Pike may be fished any time from May to February inclusive, except when it is actually freezing. The best month is considered to be the pike are then in the best condition. One of the most approved tackles for angling for the pike is the spinner, baited with a small dace. bleak. gudgeon, or par of about two ounces, The mode of 'using it is thus described in Bailey's Angler's Instructor (Longman LC.; Co., 1857): "Having cast your bait as far as possible, allow it, if you are fishing in a pond, or lake, or deep water, to sink a little, say 2 ft., then wind away at a brisk rate, holding your rod on one side rather low; if no run, wind out and throw again, but this time wind brisk four or five yards, then all of a sudden stop a Moment, then off again, doing so three or four times in one cast. I have often found this a good plan. If you still have no run try another throw and wind brisk as before, but occasionally giving your mod a sharp but short.twiteli." See also Stonehenge's British Rural Sports (London, 1875).
Other species of pike in the lakes and rivers of North America, as esox estor, which is sprinkled with round blaCkish spots, and E. retieularis, which is marked with a network of brownish lines.
'The gar-fish (q.v.) is sometimes called the sea pike. The same name is also given to certain large voracious fishes of warm seas, belonging to the perch family.
•TheSaury pike is noticed in a separate article.