144 Sporting Sketches 



the upper half of cheek and gill-cover is scaled, 

 while the lower half of both is naked. The pike 

 has a gill-cover scaled like the 'lunge's, but the 

 entire cheek is scaled. The eastern and grass pick- 

 erel have cheek and gill-covers scaled all over. 

 Hence if only the upper half of the fish's cheek 

 is scaled, it is a 'lunge ; if the entire cheek and half 

 the gill-cover show scales, the specimen is a great 

 northern pike. Young mascalonge are distinctly 

 spotted with blackish on a greenish or grayish 

 ground. The mature fish shows less distinct 

 markings, although they usually are discernible in 

 the region of the tail. I have, however, seen big, 

 old fish upon which the eye could detect no spot, 

 the general color being grayish green with a few 

 dim reflections. Again, I have seen fine fish of a 

 nondescript tint, as like that of an old, dry rubber 

 boot as anything I can think of. The young and 

 old of the great northern pike have the sides marked 

 with oval whitish or yellowish spots, several shades 

 lighter than the ground color hence, a fish with 

 spots darker than the ground color is a 'lunge; with 

 lighter spots, a northern pike. I have dwelt upon 

 these distinctive marks in the hope that what has 

 been said may aid in clearing away a bit of the mis- 

 understanding concerning these two fine fish. If the 

 inexperienced angler will remember about the scales 

 of the cheeks and gill covers and the color of the 

 spots, he should make no error in his identification. 

 The 'lunge and his nearest kin are remorseless 

 destroyers of other fish. Like so many old-time 

 robbers of the Rhine, they have, their strongholds 

 from which to dash forth and raise havoc with the 



