NATURAL HISTORY. 



33 



MASQUALLOXGE, 



TROUT-PERCH. 



f\xmily, found in the United States, I have ed in two ovaries, wliich extended nearly 

 given it the specific name of nobilior. It the whole length of the cavity. This lish 

 is a fish, which is eagerly sought, and com- ' abounds much more in the streams and 



mands the highest price in market, but it 

 is rare in Lake Champlain, compared with 

 E. estor, or Common Pike. Very good 

 figures of both of these species are given in 

 Frank Forester,s Fish 'and Fishing, but 

 both under wrong names; the E. nobilior 

 being figured under the name of E. estor, 

 and the E. estor under that of E. lucioides. 

 The vulgar name, Masqualloxge, ap- 

 pears to have been given by the early 

 French settlei-s of Canada to the Pikes and 

 Pickerels gener.ally, it being a term, or 

 phrase, descriptive of the whole fimily. 

 Masque, signifying face or visage, and 

 allonge, lengthened, — they all having 

 lengthened, or elongated heads. In modern 

 times this name, Masquallonge, has been 

 confined, by the fishei'men, to the species 

 here described, while the other species bear 

 the vulgar name of Pike, or Pickerel. The 

 methods of spelling this Canadian-French 

 name, have been almost as numerous as 

 the authors, who have used it, as may be 

 seen by the following list 



smaller lakes 

 Champlain. 



in Can.".da than in Lake 



Maskallonge, 



Masquinongy, 



Maskinonge, 



Muskallonge, 



Muskellunge, 



Le Sueur. 

 Dr. Jlitchell, 

 Dr. Richardson. 

 Dr. Kirtland, 

 Dr. DeKay. 



The oldest forms of this name, it will be 

 seen, approach nearest, both in spelling 

 and pronunciation, to the pln-ase Masque 

 allonge, which w^e have supposed to be its 

 origin, and, therefore, afford presumptive 

 proof of the correctness of our supposition. 



This fish may usually be distinguished 

 from the Common Pike by its dark circular 

 markings, and its more robust proportions. 

 Its head is proportionally shorter, the face 

 flatter and less grooved, and the wndth 

 across the ej'cs and upper jaw greater than 

 in the esior. But, perhaps, the mark by 

 which it may be most readily distinguished 

 is on the cheek, the lower half of the cheek 

 in the E. nobilior, in front of the preoper- 

 culum, being naked, or without scales, 

 while in the E. estor the whole cheek is 

 covered v. ith scales. The difference in the 

 general aspect of the tv< o species may be 

 seen by comparing the figure of the E. estor 

 below, with the E. nobilior at the head of 

 this article. 



Esox estor.— JjRf-JJBVT!. 



The specimen here described was a female, 



with her abdomen filled with eggs, contain- 



Genus Salmoperca. — Thompson. 



Generic Characters. — Two dorsal fins, the first 

 su])porte(l by flexible rays, and tlie second adipose, 

 asintbetrouts. Opercules smooth. Abandoffine 

 teeth in each jaw. Scales with serrated edges, as in 

 the ix-rchcs. 



..-*^" 



TROUT-PERCH. 



Salmoperca pellucida. — Thompson. 



Percnpsis ^uttatus, Ac;assiz Lake Superior, p. 284, 

 and Plate I., fig. 1 and 2. 



Description. — General color, light brown- ' 

 ish yellow, with longitudinal rows of brown 

 spots, about one-tenth of an inch in diame- 

 ter, usually one row along the dorsal line, 

 and two rows on each side between this and 

 the lateral line. A broad satin stripe em- 

 braces the lateral line- Belly white. Fins 

 and flesh translucent-the vertebral column, 

 the contents of the abdi men, and portions 

 of the head, only appe;:riug opaque, when 

 held towai-ds the light. Fins all large, in 

 proportion to the size of the fish. The I'ays 

 of the pectorals reach backward half of 

 their length beyond the vcntrals, which are 

 attached near the middle of the abdomen, 

 and under a point a little anterior to the 

 first dorsal, and reach backward to the 

 vent. The anal fin has its first ray short 

 and spinous. Caudal fin forked. Nostrils 

 and eyes large ; irides yellow. xV depression 

 on the head, between the orbits, divided 

 longitudinally by a long ridge. Scales 

 rather large and rough, having finely sei'- 

 rated edges. Length, from 8 to 5 inches. 

 The following are the measurements of one 

 out of three living specimens before me, 

 when the above description was made : 

 Total length, 3.9 inches; to the pectoral lin, 

 1; to ventral, L45; first dorsal, 1.5; anal, 

 2.1; adipose, 2.6; central base of caudal, 

 3.2. Fin rays, B. 6, D. nO— 0, P. 13, V. 

 S,A.1|7, C.18|. 



History. — The first knowledge I had of 

 this fish was in the summer of 1841, when 

 I found a specimen of it, 5 inches long, 

 wliich was dead, and had been drifted up 

 by the waves on the lake shore, in Durling- 

 ton. On examining it, I found it to possess 

 the adipose and abdominal fins of the trouts, 



