THE CASTER'S QUARRY 13* 



the weeds and preys on smaller fish of all kinds, frogs, 

 small rodents, birds, snakes, etc. Like the pike he is 

 usually found on the edge of weed-beds in water from 

 five to twelve feet deep, or in streams he often hides 

 behind sunken logs, fallen trees, boulders, and shelv- 

 ing banks. They are also taken in lakes in the vicinit/ 

 of gravel bars or in water with gravel bottoms covered 

 with short gassy weeds. They spawn early in the 

 spring. 



The muskellunge usually feed in the morning and 

 at evening. During the spring, in the breeding sea- 

 son, he is a gallant lover and then you will usually 

 find them in pairs, and when one is hooked, the other 

 will frequently show itself. In midsummer, usually in 

 August, they seem to have trouble with their teeth, 

 and will frequently follow a bait without touching it, 

 or strike it very gingerly. Whether this condition 

 is a disease, or whether they are simply changing or 

 growing new teeth is a much-debated question. In 

 fact, owing to his natural shyness, the muskellunge is 

 a difficult fish to study, and considering their import- 

 ance we 'have little positive knowledge about them. 



There are also no well-defined standards of classi- 

 fication, as there is much variation in specimens from 

 certain waters in Minnesota and Wisconsin. One of 

 our standard authorities (Jordan and Everman) men- 

 tions the unspotted muskellunge under the heading 

 "Great Northern Pike" (Esox immasculatus, Gerard) 

 but have only the following to say: "This muskellunge 

 is known only from Eagle Lake and other small lakes 



