GAR-PIKES, OLD AND YOUNG. 



report of some remarks of Prof. Agassiz on young, living gar-pikes 

 from Lake Ontario, before the Boston Society of Natural History, in 



1856: 



" The manner of feeding also is unlike that of other fishes, and 

 resembles tliat of reptiles. Other fishes take their food and swallow 

 it at once, with open mouth. But this one (the young gar) approaches 

 its prey (in this case small minnows) slyly, sidewise, and, suddenly 

 seizing it, holds it in its jaws until, by a series of movements, it suc- 

 ceeds in getting it into a proper position for swallowing, as is the 

 habit with lizards and alligators." 



Before attaching much importance to the reptilian analogies here 

 suo-o-ested, it should be ascertained whether the mode of swallowing 

 above described is not followed by certain long-billed Teleosts (as 

 Belone, etc.), and, on the other hand, discarded by the short-headed 

 gar, whose jaws have nearly the form of the pickerel. Upon the 

 whole, the gars and other typical Ganoids seem to haye affinities 

 with Batrachians rather than with scaly reptiles. 



The flesh of the gar is soft, and speedily decays. In Wood's 

 " Natural History," it is stated that " the flesh of the bony pike is 

 said to be good ; " and Prof. W. S. Barnard informs me that the gars, 

 especially the young, are not infrequently used as food by whites in 

 Wisconsin, and by both whites and negroes in Mississippi. Still, 

 there is no reason for believing that the flesh is particularly desirable. 



In this connection, it is worth noting that little use as food is 

 made by man of the representatives of the Ganoids and the Plagio- 

 stomes, which, as shown by fossil remains, were created before the 

 ordinary fishes. Some kinds of skates are eaten on the French "coast, 

 and sturgeons are known as " Albany beef," but no comparison can 

 be made between them and the salmon, the cod, or the mackerel. 



While watching the living gar, w^hether old or young, one of the 

 first things noted is that it not only remains usually near the surface, 

 but, at short intervals, actually protrudes the head from the water. 

 In so doing, it turns partly over upon one side, emits a large bubble 

 of air, executes a slight gulj)ing movement of the jaws and throat, 

 and sinks again below the surface; immediately afterward a few 

 smaller bubbles escape from the gill-slit on each side of the neck. 

 The foregoing is a very bald and inadequate description of a curi- 

 ous and, when first observed, astonishing operation. The movements 

 are very rapid, and almost convulsive, as if the fish were suddenly 

 oppressed by something, and hastened to remove it. The little gar 

 first obtained almost invariably turned upon the left side, the air 

 escaping from the right ; this uniformity w^as not observed with the 

 others. Occasionally they would open the jaws widely, as if gaping; 

 and at other times the sides of the mouth were spread laterally. 



With reference to the young gars from Lake Ontario already 

 mentioned. Prof. Agassiz is reported as follows: "This fish is re- 



