226 THE PIKE PERCH. 
the first dorsal. The shape of the fore gill-cover is 
slightly different, and the spines on its edge are more 
distinct and regiilar, like teeth. There are no bars on 
any fin except the dorsal ; there are no scales on the gill- 
cover, and the fins are all light and transparent. There 
are minnte teeth on the base of the tongue. 
The fish that this description is taken from were found 
in I^ew York market on the 25th day of February, and 
may have been altered by their winter dress ; but they 
were unknown to the fish-dealers, one of whom called 
my attention to them and inquired their name. They 
did not weigh over a pound, and the largest was fifteen 
inches long, of which the head was four. Of the dorsal, 
the second, third and fourth rays were the longest. 
Being but a sportsman,! mention these matters to attract 
the attention of the learned, who would do us a favor if 
they would seek out the old Indian names to apply to 
our anonymous fish. 
There is a third described s]3ecies of liicioperca or pike 
perch, as the word means ; lucioperca grisea^ that is 
found in the limits of ]^ew York, as well as the lucio- 
^erca canadensis^ which belongs to Canada. 
It is to be observed that Dr. De Kay puts the length 
of the luciojperca americana at 14.5, but says they are 
occasionally much larger ; whereas the fish known as the 
pike of the lakes is taken in immense quantities in Lake 
Ontario, in April, of twenty pounds' weight, and rarely 
falls below five. There is a small pike perch known as 
the sorga, with the same general characteristics, but with 
the membrane attached to the last spine-ray of the first 
dorsal alone black. Tlie back is yellow mottled with 
