Fishes of Brookhaven^ L. I. 267 



in June and July, (at which time, being its spawning season, 

 all its other colors are in the greatest perfection), but during 

 the rest of the year the abdomen is white. The species may, 

 however, be at all times distinguished by the light colored 

 vertical bands on its sides, and by its dorsal fin being marked 

 with oblique, waving hues, alternately light and dark. 



Hydrargira pisculenta. Mitch. 



This species is even more variable than the last. Dr. 

 Mitchill's description was taken from one of rather large size, 

 in which the sides are plain olive green, while the fish is alive. 

 As we descend to those a little smaller, black vertical bands 

 appear, which become more apparent in still smaller speci- 

 mens, until at the length of an inch we have Mitchill's Esox 

 zonatus, which is simply the young of the j^isculenta. On the 

 approach of cold weather this and the preceding species {fas- 

 ciata) leave the other parts of Old Man's Harbor and gather 

 in immense numbers in one or two narrow creeks. In January 

 and February, 1841, I found them in one of these places 

 collected so densely, that when the tide left them, nothing 

 was visible but a mass of fish completely concealing the whole 

 muddy bed of the creek. On dipping a common hand-net 

 among them, I have repeatedly taken up more than three 

 thousand of them at once ; they were nearly torpid with the 

 cold, but still able to swim. 



The great tenacity of life in this and the kindred species is 

 certainly well worthy of remark. They are capable of re- 

 maining out of the water four hours without receiving any 

 apparent injury. On being replaced after such a time, they 

 swim about with as much ease as though they had never been 

 removed, and give, by their motions, no token of being in 

 pain. The only species in which I have observed this, are 

 jnsculenta, fasciaia, and multifasciata ; it is, however, very 

 probably common to the whole genus. 



Hydrargira flavula. Mitch. 



The jlavula is much less common than the last two species, 

 34* 



