FEDERATION PIKE. 185 
market and endeavored to use as a guide. The water 
of this pond was clear as crystal, and communicated with 
the ocean; it was alive with herring, perch and other 
small fish, as thick as the gold leaf in a bottle of Eau de 
vie de Dantsic^ and may have had a great effect upon 
the coloring and shape of the fish. At the time I was 
struck with their appearance, and examined all the works 
on icthyology at my command, but could find no satis- 
factory description. 
The head was that of the pickerel family ; of the teeth 
and fin-rays I remember nothing accurately ; the back 
was dark brownish green, growing greener on the sides, 
where it was intersjDersed with numerous lilac spots or 
scales, and shading off, as it descended on the sides, into 
light green with yellow scales ; then into yellow with 
brilliant silvery scales, terminated on the belly in the 
purest white. The dorsal fin and tail were dark green, 
the anal burnt sienna, the ventral yellow, with, I believe, 
the first ray red, and the pectoral yellow and reddish. 
The back of the head was dark green, the gill-covers 
were partially covered with scales, the iris was yellow 
shot with pearl ; between the eye and the nostril there 
was a spot of lighter green ; the snout and tip of the 
under jaw were dark green ; adjoining on the under jaw 
was a warm lilac color, becoming purplish as it advanced 
toward the gill-cover. The lower part of the fore gill- 
cover was of a pearly tint, deepening into purple as it 
ascended ; the gill-rays were a beautiful warm light 
mother of pearl, and behind them was a yellow tint. 
These colors were all exquisitely brilliant, and bid defi- 
ance to my palette. The side& were variegated with 
