﻿HISTORY OF THE FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 311 



Length, one to four inches. 



Eemark-s. This i^retty species, called by Mitchill the " New York Gudgeon," and 

 known by our fishermen as the " Basse-fry," from the resemblance of the markings of 

 the female to those of the " Striped Basse," and called by boys the " Yellow-tail," 

 is common in brackish waters in the vicinity of Boston. The two sexes were formerly 

 considered distinct species. 



Massachusetts, Storer. Connecticut, Ayres. Xcw York, Mitchill, Dekay. 



FAMILY XIV. ESOCID.E. 



Body elongated. One dorsal, generally opposite to the anal. Edge of the upper 

 jaw either formed solely by the intermaxillaries, or, if the labials enter at all into its 

 composition, they are destitute of teeth. Intestinal canal short, without cceca. Bran- 

 chial rays vary from three to eighteen. Mouth large, and without sharp teeth. 



GENUS I. ESOX, Cuv. 



Head depressed, large, oblong, blunt; intermaxillaries small, with small, pointed 



teeth at the middle of the upper jaw, of which they form two bands. The maxillarics 



forming the sides ha^e no teeth. The vomer, palatines, tongue, pharjiigeals, and 



branchial arches bristled with card-like teeth. Sides of the lower jaw with a row of 



long, pointed teeth. 



Esox reticulatus, Lesueur. 



The Pickerel. 



(Plate XXIV. Fig. 1.) 



Esoz lucius, Pickerd, Mitch., Trans. Lit. and Phil. Soc. of N. Y., i. p. 440. 

 Esox reticulatus, Lesueuk, Jonrn. Acad. Nat. Sciences, i. p. 414. 



" " Common Pickerd, Storeb, Report, p. 97. 



" " Pike, KiKTLAND, Report, p. 194. 



" " Common Pickerel, Dekat, Report, p. 223, pi. 34, fig. 107. 



Esox fasciattis, Varied Pickerel, Dekay, Report, p. 224, pi. 34, fig. 110. 

 Esox reticulatus, Pickerel, Thompsos's History of Vermont, p. 138. 



" " Atbes, Bost. Jouni. Xat. Hist., ir. p. 269. 



" " Pickerd, Pike, Kiutlaxd, Bost. Journ. Nat. Hist., iv. p. 233, pi. 10, fig. 2. 



Esox tredecem Uneatus, Federation Pike, Mitch., Mirror, 1825, p. 361. 

 Esox tredecem radiatus. Federation Pike, Dekat, Report, p. 225. 

 Esox reticulatus, Pickerd, Storeb, Mem. Amer. Acad., New Series, ii. p. 437. 



" " " " Synopsis, p. 185. 



Le Brochet reticule (Esox reticulatus, Lesceur), Cut. et Val., xtiii. p. 327. 



Color. The color of this species varies considerably in different localities. Most 

 commonly, however, the body is green above ; the sides are of a beautiful golden- 



