6Q 



THE PIKE. 



CHAPTER I. 



ESOX LUCIUS: 

 PICKEREL JACK GEDD LUCE. 



" The pike, or lucit, is a mercenary ; 

 Or anglers seem among themselves to vary ; 

 He loves no streams, but hugs the silent deeps, 

 And eats all hours, and yet no house he keeps." 



THEOPHILUS FRANCK, A.D. 1658. 



THE Pike, or Jack, is a species of the 

 Teleostean fishes classed as Malacopterygii 

 abdominales, from the ventral fins being abdo- 

 minal in position. Only one species of pike 

 Esox lucius is found in the waters of Great 

 Britain, or known in Europe, it being the typical 

 representative of the Esocida family, in which 

 the dorsal fin is set far back in the body and 

 nearly opposite or perpendicular to the anal fin. 

 Its other characteristics are : an elongated body 

 nearly uniform in depth from head to commence- 

 ment of back-fin, rounded back, sides compressed 

 and covered with small scales ; length of head as 

 one to four when compared with the extreme 



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