ON PIKE FROM SAKHALIN AND 



Lucius reichertii (Dybowski) 



in' 



Madoka J^,vsaki 



(Hokkaido Imperial Uii'vcrs'ty} 



m±M^< ^ ^ t^t^Ji^^^ — 



O Lucius reichertii ^ [(?. '^J^ "^ 



Through kindness of Mr. T. Hikita, Mr. F. Handa, and Mr. J. Kajiura, 

 five specimens of pike from Saklialin have recently been brought into my 

 hand. They wci-e collected near Taraika where the fish is said to frequent 

 the swamps. I have also in my possession another specimen of similar pike, 

 from Siberia, wicii Professor E. Eri of the Higher Normal ScJiooI of Nara 

 has kindl)- placed at my disposal ; this, agreeing almo.st in every respect ^\ ith 

 the Sakhalin .specimens in question, has been of great use in my present 

 worl-c. At a glance of these specimens, I recalled in mind the form from Dauria, 

 which Pallas first described as a variety of the common pike Lucius IticiiisP 

 and wliich D\-bowski afterwards named Esox reiclicrtiiP But tlie description 

 of both tliese writers being \-er\- brief, the form has jiitlicrto been de!t with 

 but obscurely. The more closely I examined the specimens, the further my 

 fancy went, and has at last developed itself into the belief that they might be 

 certainly conspecific with this form. S'» I have been much interested in them, 

 presuming that they might throw light on the discussion whether Lucius reichertii 

 may or may not e.xi.st as a .species di.stinct from L. lucius : toward this, 

 chiefly the present work has been undertaken. 



The five specimens from Sakhalin range from ^C>S mm. to 720 mm. in the 

 length total, while that from Siberia has a total length of 800 mm. ; this and 

 the largest of the former specimens are mature male. All were well prcser\- 

 ed, especially three from Sakhalin, wliich, when handed over to me, were still 

 so fresh as almost to represent the living colour. 



i) Zoographia Rosso-asiatici III, pp. 336-338. 

 2) Verh. Zool. Bot. Vcr., Wien, i86g, p. 956. 



