THE PIKES: DISTRIBUTION AND COMMERCIAL IMPORTANCE. 15 



Henshall (1892) stated that it is fortunate for the rest of the finny 

 tribe that the "mascalonge" is comparatively a rare fish. The 

 muskellunge, like others of the pike family, breeds in the spring, later, 

 however, than the pike or pickerel. All of the pike family resort to 

 overflowed marshes or shallow grassy streams to spawn — the pick- 

 erel during March and the muskellunge in May. 



The pickerel thus has a start of about two months, and no doubt 

 the young pickerel devour most of the muskellunge that hatch, for the 

 spawn in May, in such shallow water, is exposed to the ravages of 

 turtles, frogs, ducks, and coots, and most of it is doubtless destroyed. 

 This seems to be a wise provision, for since the muskellunge spawns 

 from 100,000 to 300,000 eggs, according to size, the result can be 

 imagined were the same proportions of eggs to hatch and reach ma- 

 turity as in the case of most other fishes.'^ 



It has not seemed advisable to introduce this fish into other waters 

 than those in which it is indigenous. 



For a number of years the Pennsylvania commission has distrib- 

 uted the young of this species, hatched from eggs derived from New 

 York waters, into natural muskellunge waters in Pennsylvania. One 

 of the State reports says, however, that the muskellunge attains a 

 size of 12 inches in a very few months, but to attain that size eats an 

 enormous amount of food, causing it to be a dangerous fish to place 

 in ordinary waters. 



FOOD QUALITIES. 



As in the case of other species of the family, opinions vary regarding 

 its quahty as a food fish. Henshall wrote (1892) that in comparison 

 with the rest of the family it is a valuable food fish, though it is much 

 overrated and is inferior to the whitefish, lake trout, black bass, or 

 brook trout for the table, but that it is, however, readily disposed 

 of in the markets, and, while possessing no special or characteristic 

 flavor, is firm, flaky, and is much admired by many, and adds "but 

 chacun a son gotit." 



On the other hand, Nevins (1901) stated that from a gastronomic 

 standpoint the muskellmige has few equals among fishes and by some 

 is considered to rank in quality next to the salmon. 



AS A GAME FISH. 



Henshall (1892) stated that as a game fish the "mascalonge" is far 

 superior to the rest of the family, and when weighing upward of 10 

 poimds its great vitality, weight, and power give it an endurance that 



a In this statement Henshall does not seem to recognize that homologous adaptions exist in other fishes. 

 In natural economy the purpose of reproduction— i. e., the perpetuity of the species— is accomplished by 

 the survival of one pair only to replace the parents when they are gone, and for which purpose one species 

 is no better equipped than another. Every species is naturally adapted to meet both favorable and un- 

 favorable conditions to which it is naturally subjected. The species which is subjected to the most ad- 

 verse conditions has the most eggs, and vice versa. 



