FISHES OF THE CONNECTICUT LAKES. 59 



streams it has entered for that purpose, but sometimes along shore 

 among grass or in overflowed meadows. The breeding time begins in 

 some places in the last of March, even before the ice is out of the lake; 

 at other places it occurs in April and May. The majority of individ- 

 uals first appearing on the spawning grounds are males, later the fe- 

 males appear. The eggs are small, numerous, and viscid, becoming 

 attached to stones, plants, sticks, etc. It is recorded that a smelt 

 weighing 2 ounces yielded from 46,000 to 50,000 eggs. 



The smelt is an excellent pan fish, but it is difficult to get small ones 

 except on the spawning gi'ounds; however, in many waters where 

 small ones occur there are large ones which may be caught on hook 

 and line, in about 60 to 100 feet of water, by using pieces of fish or 

 small minnows for bait on about a no. 1 or smaller sproat hook. The 

 bite is feeble and sometimes will not be detected until one becomes 

 accustomed to it. 



20. Pickerel. Esox i^eticulatus Le Sueur. 



Head 3.22 in length to base of caudal ; depth 5.52 ; ej' e 10 in head ; snout 2.16 ; 

 maxillary bone 2.64; dorsal 13; anal 13; scales 128. 



Head long, the snout long and depressed, without scales above, but cheeks 

 and opercles entirely scaled ; mouth very large, the distance from tip of snout 

 to posterior extremity of maxillary 2.04 in head ; lower jaw the longer, mandible 

 1.44 in head; premaxillary, vomer and palatines with broad bauds of sharp 

 strong teeth which are more or less movable ; lower jaw with strong teeth of 

 different sizes; tongue with band of small teeth; body elongate, somewhat de- 

 pressed, broad anteriorly, compressed posteriorly ; dorsal posterior, opposite and 

 similar to anal, its height 2.53 in head; pectoral small, inserted low, 2.9 in head; 

 ventrals rather posterior; caudal well forked. 



Greenish with golden luster ; belly yellow ; side marked with reticulating dark 

 lines and blotches ; a dark band below eye, fins plain. 



The above description is from a specimen 27.7 inches long weighing 4 pounds, 

 caught in Matagamon River, Maine, August 25, 1902. The color varies much in 

 specimens from different waters and of different sizes and ages. Smaller fish 

 usually have the belly white rather than yellow. Young pickerel are cross- 

 barred instead of reticulated and there is a light stripe along the median line 

 of back from head to tail. 



This species, which has been introduced in these waters, can be mistaken for 

 no other fish in the region. From the pike it is easily told by the reticulated 

 color markings. The pike has light spots or bars and only the upper half of 

 the opercle is scaled. From the muskellunge it is distinguished by having the 

 cheeks wholly scaled, and by the color marking, which in the muskellunge con- 

 sists of dark unreticulated spots and short bars. 



The pickerel is very generally known by this name, although in 

 some other parts of its range it has other names such as " grass pike " 

 and " jack." It has a pretty wide distribution in the Eastern States, 

 but does not occur much west of the Mississippi River. Its recorded 

 range, according to Jordan and Evermann, is Maine to Florida and 

 Louisiana, Arkansas and Tennessee. The only locality in this region 



