196 AMERICAN GAME FISHES. 



shores; and woe to the luckless fish that passes within sight 

 of the fierce marauder, for its doom is sealed when this fresh- 

 water shark rushes open-mouthed upon its victim with a 

 speed and force as though hurled from a catapult. 



The number of fishes destroyed by a Mascalonge during a 

 summer is almost incredible; and they are not small fry and 

 young fishes, such as are devoured by other predacious fishes, 

 but those that have escaped the many dangers and vicissi- 

 tudes of adolescence, and have arrived at an age when they 

 are capable of reproducing their kind. 



It is indeed fortunate for the rest of the finny tribe that 

 the Mascalonge is comparatively a rare fish. The Masca- 

 longe, like others of the pike family, breeds in the spring, 

 later however than the Pike or Pickerel. All of the pike 

 species resort to overflowed marshes and shallow, grassy 

 streams to spawn — the Pickerel during March and the Masca- 

 longe in May. 



The Pickerel thus has a start of about two months, and no 

 doubt the young Pickerel devour most of the Mascalonge that 

 hatch, for the spawn in May, in such shallow water, is ex- 

 posed to the ravages of turtles, frogs, ducks and coots, and 

 most of it is doubtless destroyed. This seems to be a wise pro- 

 vision of nature, for as the Mascalonge spawns from 100,000 

 to 300,000 eggs, according to size, the result can be imagined 

 were the same proportion of eggs to hatch and reach matu- 

 rity as in the case of most other fishes. 



In comparison with the rest of its family the Mascalonge is 

 a valuable food-fish, though, as already intimated, it is much 

 overrated, and is inferior to the White-fish, Lake Trout, Black 

 Bass or Brook Trout for the table. It is, however, readil)' dis- 

 posed of in the markets, and while possessing no special or 

 characteristic flavor, its flesh is firm and flaky, and is much 

 admired by many, but — chacun a son gout. 



Likewise as a game-fish the Mascalonge is far superior to 

 the rest of its family, and when upward of ten pounds its 



