151 



ABDOMrNAI, 

 AlALACOPTERYCn. ESOCID^E. 



THE MASCALONGE. 



Masqurallongc ; Canadian French. — Esox Estor ; Cuvier, Agassiz. 



This magnificent fish, which is the finest, largest, and most excellent 

 food of all the Pike family, is found only in the gi-eat lakes and waters 

 of the St. Lawrence basin, not having been discovered in any of the 

 rivers or lakes which discharge themselves into Hudson's Bay or the 

 Polar Sea, nor yet, so far as I have been able to ascertain, in any of 

 the smaller lakes of the United States which shed their waters north- 

 erly into the St. Lawrence. It is stated that " in the spring, which is 

 its spawning season, it frequents the small rivers that fall into Lake 

 Simcoe" — which discharges itself by the Severn into Lake Huron — 

 and that it feeds on small, gelatinous, green balls, which grow on the 

 sides of banks under water, and on small fishes." 



This great Pike is said, by Dr. Richardson, to attain the weight of 

 twenty-eight pounds, but it unquestionably grows to a very much larger 

 size, though I cannot state, with precision, the greatest dimensions that 

 he has been known to acquire. Dr. DeKay says that he has been 

 known to exceed four feet in length, which, having in view the breadth 

 and depth of this fish when in condition, would give a probable weight 

 of sixty or eighty pounds, which I believe to approach his maximum. 

 He is a bold and most voracious fish. 



The cut accompanying this paper, and the following description, 

 are taken from a specimen preserved in spirits, in the possession of 

 Professor Agassiz, of Harvard University, which measured about two 

 feet and a half in length, and weighed eighteen pounds. 



The length of the head to that of the whole body was as two to nine. 



The snout, from the orbit of the eye forward, singularly elongated 

 and acute. The anterior edge of the orbit, midway between the tip 

 of the snout and the posterior margin of the free gill-cover. The bor- 

 der of the upper jaw is formed of the maxillari 's alon?, th:^ edges of 



