222 NEW-YORK FAUNA. 
FAMILY ESOCIDA. 
Body elongated. One dorsal, and generally opposite to the anal. Edge of the upper jaw 
either formed by the intermacillaries, or if the maxillaries enter at all into its composition, 
they are destitute of teeth. Intestinal canal short, and generally without ceca. ‘Branchial 
rays vary from three to eighteen. Mouth large, and with sharp teeth. 
Oss. In this State, and along its shores, we describe the representatives of four genera. 
There are about ninety species, tolerably well known, in various parts.of the world. 
GENUS ESOX. Cuvier. 
Head depressed, large, oblong, blunt. Intermawillaries small, with small teeth at the middle 
of the upper jaw, of which they form two-thirds. The maaillaries forming the sides, have 
no teeth. Vomer, palatines, pharyngeals and branchial arches, bristling with card-like 
teeth. Sides of the lower jaw with a row of long pointed teeth. 
THE MUSKELLUNGE. 
Esox Estor. 
Pike, Pickerel or Maskallonge, E. estor, Lesueur, Journ. Acad. Sc. Vol. 1, p. 413/ 
E. Masquinongy. Mircuert, Mirror 1824, p, 297; Kirtland Zool. Ohio, p. 194. 
E. estor. Cuvirr, R. A. Ed. angl. Vol. 10, p. 389. 
Maskinonge. Ricnarrson, F. B. A. Vol. 3, p. 127. 
Characteristics. Sides of the body with numerous rounded, distinct, occasionally confluent, 
lighter spots. Length one to three feet. 
Description. Body cylindrical, elongate, somewhat quadrate. Scales thin, small, orbicu- 
lar, ascending on the cheeks; the upper part of the head smooth; a series of about 160 
along the lateral line, and 45 in a vertical row before the ventrals. Snout broad, rounded and 
depressed. Head covered With numerous pores on the summit and sides ; its length to the 
total length, as one to four nearly. An oblong cavity between the orbits. Mouth very large. 
A single row of small recurved teeth in the anterior part of the upper and lower jaw; sides 
of the lower jaw with long acute distant teeth ; bands of small teeth on the vomer and pala- 
lines ; a series of minute teeth on the branchial arches. Tongue truncate, with asperities on 
its base. Branchial rays eighteen. The dorsal fin with twenty rays, of which the first five 
are applied closely to the base of the sixth. Anal similar in shape, with its first four rays 
similarly applied to the fifth. Pectorals small. Ventrals on the middle of the body, and 
small. Caudal large, lunulated with rounded lobes. 
Color. Deep greenish brown; darker on the back; pale-on the sides, with numerous 
rounded, distinct, pale yellowish or greyish spots on the sides. These spots vary in size 
