IOWA ACADEMV OF SCIKiVCF.S. 



comiiio- of the unwary minnow, wIrmi, (]ui('ker than thoug'ht, 

 it dart.s upon its prey, and. while you look sinks slowly from 

 sioht. There is no apparent motion of fin or tail, but ere yon 

 realize it, the ravenous l)eaut}' is ijone. Its eominir to the- 

 siirfaee is as motionless and unex])eeted." — Call. 



39. /^sox /uciiis, Linn.'eus. Pike, Noithern Pickerel. 



This speeies is known l)y the half ])are opereles and by be- 

 ino- light spotted on a darker back gi-ound. The hal)its of 

 this species are similar to the preceding. It attains a length 

 of four feet and is one of our very best food fishes. It is a 

 favorite game fish and many :ire caug^ht each year by anglers 

 in the lakes in this state. 



20. Ilsox nohilior, Thomp.son. Mtiskallunge. 



This species is known by the absence of scales on the lower 

 half of the cheeks and opereles and by being dark spotted on 

 a lighter back ground. The muskallunge reaches a length 

 of six feet and attains a weight of over eighty pounds. It is 

 one of the most voracious of fishes and decidedly ganiey. 

 They are found only in small numbers. Specimens are occa- 

 sionally taken in the Mississippi Kiver. The head of a large 

 specimen taken from the Skunk River, near Ames, is in the 

 Iowa Agricultural C'ollege Museum, others are said to have 

 been taken from the same place. This species is not always 

 distinguished from the i)receding. It is an excellent food 

 fish. 



Family 7— ANGUILLID/E. The Kcls. 

 21. Angitilla lostrala, Le Sueur. C'oninivjn Amei ican Eel. 



The common eel is found in all the larger streams of the 

 State, though it is not abundant anywhere. As a food fish 

 it ranks well. 



Family 8— CENTRARCHID.'E. The Sun Fishes. 

 22. Poinoxis sparoides, [>acepede. Calico Bass, Grass I>ass, Crappie. 



This species is ver}' abundant near Muscatine. It is usually 

 called crai)pie and usually not distinguished from the lattm- 



