THE PIKES: DISTRIBUTION AND COMMERCIAL IMPORTANCE. 25 



(Fortin, 1864). It has also been recorded in one locality in Lake 

 Ontario (Evermann and Kendall, 1901). 



Occurring as it does so commonly in the St. Lawrence, it is peculiar 

 that it is not more common in the northern tributary waters, but 

 Halkett (1913) does not definitely record it at all, and Nash (1908) 

 states that he has not met with it elsewhere than in the neighborhood 

 of Toronto, where he has taken a few specimens. 



LOCAL NAMES. 



A common book name given this pike is chain pickerel, but in 

 New England it is almost if not quite invariably known as pickerel. 

 It is, perhaps, the grass pike of the St. Lawrence and the green pike 

 of some other localities. It is commonly called jack in the south, the 

 term being probably an early importation from England, where small 

 pike are often so denominated. Smith (1907) mentioned pike, red- 



FIG. 4.— EASTERN P\CKER£L {Esoxreticulatus). 



finned pike, black pike, duck-billed pike, and jack as names in com- 

 mon use in the Albemarle region of North Carolina. He explained 

 that old specimens living in deep, shady water were designated as 

 black pike by the commercial fishermen. Bean (1902) said it is the 

 federation pike of Oneida Lake, N. Y. 



CHARACTERISTICS. 



The scales on the cheeks and opercles easily distinguish this fish 

 from the muskeUunge or pike, but not from the other two species of 

 pickerel. From these the adult may be always distinguished by the 

 reticulated black or brownish lines on the sides. Younger fish do not 

 show these marks, but are also banded, the cross bands being wider 

 and, consequently, fewer than in either of the others. The structural 

 distinguisliing characters have already been indicated. A weU-con- 

 ditioned pickerel, with its green and golden hues and dark markings, 

 is a beautiful fish. 



SIZE. 



Ayres (1844) gave an account of phenomenally large examples. He 

 said that on February 28, 1842, he examined a pickerel which had 

 been caught in the Hockanum River, about 2 miles east of Hartford, 



