r.KNKlJAI. DKSClillTloN. ii^) 



on the sides of the lower jjiw arc a row of larf^cr aw Isliapcd 

 te«'tli, iinplantt'd in (he hone; tlic palate boucs, vomer, and 

 phar\ njjeal arehes, are all armed with bands of small slmrj) teeth, 

 like rardiuj; maehiiies, as in the former speeies ; the tonj;ue is 

 broad, and truncated at the tip. 



The fjill-covcrs are nearly as they are deseribed in the Masea- 

 lon^e, except that the ed^^e of the siih-ojifrnilinn is strai^hler 

 and more vertical, and that the uprrcuhi are in a sli^^ht degree 

 scaly. 



The gill-openings are very large : and the l)ranchiostegou.s 

 rays are fit'leen in number, or mori- numerous by two than in 

 the Knglish Pike, which ditlers t'rom the Northern I'ickerel 

 moreover in the nund)er of all the fin-rays, in having the cheeks 

 and opnTxda covered with regular .scales, as in the Esox Rffirii- 

 latii.i, and in tlie teeth on it.s vomer and palatine l)cing dispersed 

 into lines, rather than planted in serried patches. 



The Northern Pickerel has dorsal fin-rays, twenty-one ; anal, 

 eighteen; caudal, seven above and seven below the larger lateral 

 rays; the whole caudal divided into two unecinal lol)es, the 

 upper of nine, the lower of eight rays ; the ventral, eleven, aiul 

 the anal, sixteen. 



The hack of this beautiful fish is of a rich blackiNh green, 

 which changes on the sides to greenish grey ; there is a bright 

 speck on the tip of each scale, which gives a singularly light and 

 sparkling asjK'ct to the wliole fish. The belly is of a lustrous 

 pearly white. Tlicrc are several rows of oblong, diamond- 

 shaped, yellowish grey spots on the sides of the head, body, and 

 tail. The cheeks are varied with emerald green refieetions, the 

 umler jaw and gill-rays white; the irides ptirple, with a golden 



