51. ESOCID^E. 351 



front of dorsal, composed of 3 rays ; base of anal about as long as that 

 of dorsal ; caudal fin rounded ; pectoral fin rounded, with a somewhat 

 fleshy base, with 33-36 rays. Branchiostegals 7 or 8. Streams of 

 Alaska. (Dedicated to W. H. Ball.) 



572. D. pectoralis Bean. 



Body dusky brown, mottled with whitish. Belly whitish, often 

 speckled ; fins with dark spots. Body rather elongate. Eye small, 6 

 or 7 in head. Pectoral about half as long as head; ventral one-third; 

 anal beginning opposite front of dorsal and ending nearly opposite its 

 last ray. Scales on belly very small. Head 4;' depth 5. D. 12; A 13; 

 P. 34; V. 3; scales 11-77-11. L. 8 inches. Saint Michael's, Alaska. 

 (Bean, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1879, 358.) 



FAMILY LI.-ESOCID^. 



(The Pilces.} 



Body elongate, not elevated, more or less compressed. Head long ; 

 the snout much prolonged and depressed. Mouth very large ; its cleft 

 forming about half the length of the head ; lower jaw the longer; upper 

 jaw not protractile, most of its margin formed by the-maxillaries, which 

 are quite long and provided with a supplemental bone ; premasillaries, 

 vomer, and palatines with broad bands of strong cardiform teeth which 

 are more or less movable; lower jaw with strong teeth of different 

 sizes ; tongue with a band of small teeth. Head naked above ; cheeks 

 and opercles more or less scaly; gill-openings very wide; gill-mem- 

 branes separate, free from the isthmus ; gill-rakers tubercle-like, toothed ; 

 branchiostegals 12-20. Scales small ; lateral line weak, obsolete in 

 young specimens, developed in the adult. Dorsal posterior, opposite 

 and similar to anal ; caudal fin emarginate ; pectoral fins small, inserted 

 low ; ventrals rather posterior ; vent normal ; no adipose fin ; no bar- 

 bels ; stomach not ccecal, without pyloric appendages ; pseudobranchire 

 glandular, hidden ; air-bladder simple. Fishes of moderate or large size, 

 inhabiting the fresh waters of the northern parts of Europe, Asia, and 

 North America. Genus 1 ; species about 6, one of them cosmopolitan, 

 the rest all confined to America. The species are all noted for their 

 greediness and voracity. 



(Esocidce Gunther, vii, 226-230.) 



