THE ^ONG ISLAND PICKEREL. 187 
CHAPTEK XIX. 
THE LONG ISLAND PICKEREL. 
Esox Fasciatus. — ^This fish has no name whatever in 
common parlance, and natm-alists have dubbed him Ya- 
ried Pickerel, Mackerel Pickerel, and other terms which 
are "unknown except to their authors. He abounds on 
Long Island, although he is found elsewhere throughout 
the State, and probably the most appropriate name would 
be Banded Pickerel, as his scientific appellation justly 
suggests. Varied pickerel is appropriate to nothing, and 
mackerel pike to the scomber esox^ another fish altoge- 
ther. This fish is distinguishable by having dark verti- 
cal bands upon his sides, and being altogether of a darker 
hue on the back than any other pickerel, while the pec- 
toral, ventral and anal fins are lighter colored and some- 
times reddish. A dark band passes from the eye to the 
angle of the jaw, and the fin-rays are — 
D. 22 ; P. 16 ; Y. 10 ; A. 18 ; C. 18. Or, according 
to Dr. De Kay— 
D. 15 ; P. 15 ; Y. 9 ; A. 14 ; C. 19f . 
This fish never exceeds one pound in weight, and one 
foot in length ; and although endowed with all the fero- 
city of his family, does not apparently injure the trout 
ponds of Long Island, where he has a local habitation 
and a name. Probably he cannot destroy the larger fish, 
