THE PIKES: DISTRIBUTION AND COMMERCIAL IMPORTANCE. 39 

 PROPAGATION. 



The Pennsylvania Commission (1906) at one of its hatcheries 

 undertook to hatch the eggs of the grass pike, and it was stated 

 that no difficulty was found in taking the eggs but great difficulty 

 was experienced in keeping them from sticking owing to their gluti- 

 nous character. For some years more or less adult grass pike have 

 been distributed by this commission. 



FOOD AND GAME QUALITIES. 



A Pennsylvania report (1906) states that it is a valuable fish. 

 It is rather smaU to figure much as a game fish. 



COMMERCIAL FISHERIES FOR THE PIKES. 



The various early statistical reports afford but little definite data 

 regarding any of these fishes, owing to confusion of local names and 

 the combination of very different species under the common head- 

 ing of "pike and pickerel," when very frequently one or the other 

 refers to the pike perch. For this reason no general comparative 

 statistics can be compiled. However, the three larger species have 

 always been of some local commercial value. 



Pilce. — The U. S. census of 1908 gives four divisions in wliich " pike 

 and pickerel" figure. The total catch for the United States, accord- 

 ing to these figures, was 2,959,000 pounds, valued at $194,000, 

 excluding the Atlantic coast division, which can be regarded as in- 

 cluding no pike. 



From the other three divisions the figures were as foUows, prob- 

 ably composed mostly of pike: 



Divisions. 



Quantity. 



Value. 



Great Lakes di\ision 



Mississippi River division 

 Gulf of Mexico division... 



Total 



Pounds. 



2,142,000 

 367,000 

 305, 000 



2,814,000 



$136,000 

 16,000 

 11, 000 



163,000 



By States the figures appear as follows : 



a other States not distinguished. 



i Less than $100. 



