264 American Fisheries Society 



than a yellow pike 325 mm. long; and a blue pike 303 mm. 

 long about equals a yellow pike of the 342 mm. length. A blue 

 pike 327 mm. long equals a yellow pike 370 mm. long; a blue 

 pike 370 mm. long differs from a yellow pike of the same 

 length by about one per cent. In both forms, the dimensions 

 approach each other with increase in size of the fish, but the 

 average greater dimension is that of the blue pike. 



Distance from Base of Ventral Fin to Front of Base of 

 Anal Fin. — In the general averages of both forms, the dis- 

 tance increases with the increase of the size of the fish; the 

 blue pike has the more posteriorly situated anal fin as relates 

 to the ventral. The difference, however, decreases with 

 increase in the size of the fish. In the six individuals of each 

 kind examined, the same tendency to increase the distance with 

 increase of size of the fish is observed, but it is very irregular 

 and variable. The blue pike is the more variable, this dimen- 

 sion sometimes being less than that of the yellow pike. 



Distance between Dorsal Fins. — In the general averages, 

 the distance between the dorsal fins is constantly greater in the 

 blue pike than in the yellow pike and it decreases as the size 

 of the fish increases, while in the yellow pike the distance 

 increases with the increase in size of the fish, so that the 

 averages converge, although they do not meet. The greater 

 difference, by far, is in the smaller fish. In the six individuals 

 of each kind, the blue pike still maintains the greater distance, 

 but with the increase in size of the fish there is a slight ten- 

 dency to increase the dimension. This dimension in a blue 

 pike 284 mm. long is equal to that of a yellow pike 302 mm. 

 long; in a blue pike 295 mm. long it is equal to that of a 

 yellow pike 342 mm. long. 



CONCLUSIONS 



The study has not proceeded far enough to warrant any 

 positive conclusions, and the material is hardly sufficient to 

 permit of generalization. Certain indications, however, some 



