6 THE POPULAR SCIEXCE MONTHLY. 



When, therefore, the writer found himself upon the Illinois River 

 (at Peoria, Illinois), his steps almost instinctively sought the water, in 

 the somewhat uni-easonable expectation of being first greeted by a 

 majestic " gar," rather than by some of the many kinds of ordinary 

 fish so abundant in the Western rivers. 



The first glance was disappointing. The river here widens into a 

 basin known as Peoria Lake ; and from the fishermen's pier, project- 

 ing some forty feet from the shore, could be seen no sign, near or 

 remote, of the hoped-for mail-clad fish. The fishermen, who had not 

 yet become acquainted with that unnatural perversity of naturalists 

 whicli causes them to prize some things inversely as their beauty, 

 their gentleness, and their commercial value, called attention to the 

 " cats," " buffaloes," and other marketable fish swarming in the sunken 

 pens, and promised to bring in some gars from their next haul ; add- 

 ing some emphatic statements as to the superabundance of these and 

 of ot!ier such trash. 



Just then, gliding slowly about very near the surface, and ap- 

 parently undisturbed by the splashing of the bulky " cats " and " buf- 

 faloes," was seen a slender little fish less than three inches long. It 

 was a young gar-pike. It might easily have escaped between the bars 

 of the tanks, but instead remained within arm's-length of the edge 

 of the open trap, moving gently to and fro as if courting observation. 



A tin cup was anxiously brought : it was dipped into the water, 

 slowly approached, and quickly lifted. The gar was there. But, 

 floating as usual at the surface, a slight tilting of the cup spilt it back 

 again into the water. To the astonishment of all, it soon reappeared 

 in its former place, seeming actually to welcome death for the sake of 

 (scientific) immortality. 



By a second and more careful effort the young gar was secured, 

 and soon transferred to the basin of water which was destined to be 

 its home for three weeks. 



During that time a part of each day was spent in observation of 

 its foi-m and its movements, and in comparing it with other gars, old 

 and young. 



Their Habits. None of the young gars observed by the writer 

 showed any disposition to attack each other or the small fishes placed 

 with them ; and the stomachs of the two adults examined with refer- 

 ence to this point contained only a few grasshoppers. But the many 

 and sharp teeth are evidently well fitted for seizing living and active 

 prey, and the fishermen accuse the gai'S of destroying large numbers 

 of food-fishes. On this account, as also in revenge for the damage 

 done by tliem when entangled in the nets, the fishermen are said to 

 throw them out upon the bank to die, or to i^lunge them forcibly head 

 first into the soft mud. More information is needed as to the food of 

 the gar. 



The following brief account of their manner of feeding is from a 



