;3GU 



CHAPTER X. 



FRESII-WATER FISHES OF THE ORDER PHYSOSTOMI {concluded). 



FAl\riLY ESOCIDiE -Genus Esox : Pike— FAMILY UMBEIDiE— Gems Umuka- Umbra 

 Kramcri— FAMILY CYPRINODONTID^- Gexus Cypuixodon : Cyprinodon calaiitanus 

 — C. ibericus — Genus Fundulus — Fundulus hispanicus — FAMILY MUR^ENID^E — Genus 

 Anguilla : Common Eel — Broad-nosod Et'l — Dalmatian Eel. 



Family: ESOCID^. 

 Genus: Esox (Artedi). 



The Pike g-eiius is the only ty])e of its family, and is a pliysostonious 

 lish, not very distantly removed from the Salmon tribe, and some inter- 

 mediate genera occur in the rivers of Africa, Australia, and North America. 

 Among the more strikingly distinctive characters are, the absence in Pikes of 

 the adipose fin, the situation of the dorsal fin, in the position of the adipose fin 

 of the Salmon, the glandular condition of the pseudobranchise, and the 

 absence of pyloric appendages to the intestine. It resembles the Salmon tribe 

 in having the upper jaw formed by the pre-maxilkiry bones in front, and the 

 maxillary bones at the sides, but the maxillary bone is toothless. The teeth on 

 the mandible vary in size, and those on the pre-maxillary, vomer, palatine, and 

 hyoid 1)ones are sickle-shaped. The caudal fin is forked, the body is long, and 

 the snout is long, broad, and depressed, with the mandible exceeding the 

 length of the upper jaw. The genus Esox is limited to fresh water, and is 

 distributed through Europe, Asia, and North America. It may be regarded, 

 however, as rather an American than an Old World type, since all the seven 

 species mentioned by Giinther are found in the United States. 



Esox Incius (Linn/eus). — The Pike. 



The Pike (Pig. lOS) is universally distributed in Britain and in Europe. It 

 is one of the older inhabitants of England, its I'emains occurring i)lentifully in 

 the peat of the Fens, with those of extinct mammals and birds. When young 

 the ^sh is known as a Jack, when a little larger it is often termed a Pickerel, 

 and the old fishes were formerly called Luce, a designation common in the 

 time of Chaucer, as the familiar lines in the " Canterbury Talcs " show : — 



■' Full many a fatto pavtricke had ho in niewe. 

 And nuuiy a Brenic and many a Luce in stovvc."' 



