222 NEW-YORK FAUNA. 



FAMILY ESOCIDjE. 



Body elongated. One dorsal, and generally opposite to the anal. Edge of the upper jaw 

 either formed by the inter maxillaries, or if the maxillaries enter at all into its composition, 

 they are destitute of teeth. Intestinal canal short, and generally without caeca. Branchial 

 rays vary from three to eighteen. Mouth large, and with sharp teeth. 



Obs. In this State, and along its shores, we describe the representatives of four genera. 

 There are about ninety species, tolerably well known, in various parts of the world. 



GENUS ESOX. Cuvier. 



Head depressed, large, oblong, blunt. Inter maxillaries small, with small teeth at the middle 

 of the upper jaw, of which they form two-thirds. The maxillaries forming the sides, have 

 no teeth. Vomer, palatines, pharyngeals and branchial arches, bristling with card-like 

 teeth. Sides of the lower jaw with a row of long pointed teeth. 



THE MUSKELLUNGE. 



EsOX ESTOR. 



Pike, Pickerel or Maskallonge, E. estor. Lesuecr, Journ. Acad. Sc. Vol. 1, p. 4t3. 

 E. Masquinongy. Mitchell, Mirror 1824, p, 297 ; Kirtland Zool. Ohio, p. 194. 

 E. estor. Cuvier, R. A. Ed. angl. Vol. 10, p. 389. 

 Maskinonge. Richardson, F. B. A. Vol. 3, p. 127. 



Characteristics. Sides of the body with numerous rounded, distinct, occasionally confluent, 

 lighter spots. Length one to three feet. 



Description. Body cylindrical, elongate, somewhat quadrate. Scales thin, small, orbicu- 

 lar, ascending on the cheeks ; the upper part of the head smooth ; a series of about 160 

 along the lateral line, and 45 in a vertical row before the ventrals. Snout broad, rounded and 

 depressed. Head covered with numerous pores on the summit and sides ; its length to the 

 total length, as one to four nearly. An oblong cavity between the orbits. Mouth very large. 

 A single row of small recurved teeth in the anterior part of the upper and lower jaw ; sides 

 of the lower jaw with long acute distant teeth ; bands of small teeth on the vomer and pala- 

 tines ; a series of minute teeth on the branchial arches. Tongue truncate, with asperities on 

 its base. Branchial rays eighteen. The dorsal fin with twenty rays, of which the first five 

 are applied closely to the base of the sixth. Anal similar in shape, with its first four rays 

 similarly applied to the fifth. Pectorals small. Ventrals on the middle of the body, and 

 small. Caudal large, lunulated with rounded lobes. 



Color. Deep greenish brown ; darker on the back ; pale on the sides, with numerous 

 rounded, distinct, pale yellowish or greyish spots on the sides. These spots vary in size 



