22 THE PTKES : DISTRIBUTION AND COMMERCIAL IMPORTANCE. 



and Buckland found in a female weighing 28 pounds 292,320 eggs 

 and in another weighing 32 pounds 595,200 (Smitt, 1892). 



According to Smitt (1892), the eggs, which at first are rather 

 adhesive, lie free on the bottom and in the spring (April) require 

 about thi-ee weeks to hatch. Jardine says that the period extends 

 from one to three weeks according to the temperature of the water. 



Notwithstanding the great fecundity of the pike, Smitt was of the 

 opinion that a great portion of the deposited roe is probably destroyed, 

 committed as it is to the open waters, where it is exposed to many 

 dangers. 



The newly hatched fry, wrote SundevaU (Smitt, 1892), is short 

 and thick in shape with rather a large belly. The coloration is yel- 

 lowish but quite transparent and densely punctated on the surface 

 with black dots, a dark band running from the eyes along the sides 

 of the beUy. 



At first the larva remains almost quiescent, lying close to the sur- 

 face of the water beside plants and floating straws and the like, to 

 which it seems, as it were, to hang, or else at the bottom m less than 

 an inch of water. On being touched it swims rapidly about with 

 hasty movements of the tail but soon resumes its former position. 

 In about 10 or 11 days the yolk is absorbed and the beUy much re- 

 duced in size but the head elongated and the mouth large. It now 

 begins at once to swim more steadily, in the same manner as its 

 elder, and goes in quest of prey. It soon abandons the habit of lying 

 on the bottom or resting alongside floating objects, repairs to some- 

 what deeper water, remaining for the most part stationary, as if on 

 the watch for prey. It seizes small fishes and other aquatic animals 

 of a size considerable enough ui comparison with its own, but only 

 leaps for those which it sees moving, just as m the case of older pike 

 (Smitt, 1892). 



RATE OF GROWTH. 



According to Smitt (1 892) , the external form in which the specific 

 characters of the pike may be traced seems to be fuUy developed at an 

 age of nearly 2 months and a length of about a Swedish mch (25 mm.). 

 Subsequently the growth proceeds rapidly, as usual, at first, but with 

 very considerable variations, depending on the different supply of 

 food under circumstances favorable in all respects. According to 

 some observations a 1-year pike is only 15 centimeters long, accord- 

 ing to others 30 centimeters. Blanchere states the growth as follows: 



Maximum Length op the Pike. 



Meters. 



1 year old 0. 25-0. 30 



2 years old 36- .42 



3 years old 55- . 60 



6 years old 1. 00 



12 years old 1.35 



