21 



The pickerel, not delighting- in the cold spring water 

 of the highland streams, appear never to have availed 

 themselves, as they probably might have done, of these 

 facilities for inter-communication ; for the species are 

 well known to have been originally unlike on the two 

 sides of the mountains the Esox reticulatus being 

 confined to the east side, and the Esox estor to the west 

 side. The estor, it is true, is now found in Connecticut 

 river, and is taken somewhat plentifully at Bellows 

 Falls; but it is equally true, that he found his way 

 there by human means, and in modern times.. Pickerel 

 were taken from the west side of the mountains and 

 placed in a pond, on the east side, in the south part of 

 Windsor county, whose outlet is a tributary of the Con- 

 necticut. From this pond they descended into the 

 Connecticut, where they have multiplied, and are now 

 often taken weighing several pounds. 



The estor in the Connecticut is distinguished from 

 the indigenous pickerel by the vulgar name of Pike. 

 On the west side of the mountains it is everywhere 

 called the pickerel, or lake pickerel, by those who 

 are aware that it is a different species from the retic- 

 ulatus, or common pickerel of New England ; and 

 a fish of the perch family, the American pike perch 

 (JLucio-perca americana) is there generally understood 

 by the vulgar name of pike. 



In comparing specimens of the E. estor from Con- 

 necticut river with those from Lake Champlain, it has 

 appeared to me that there is a perceptible difference in 

 their general form and aspect, while at the same time 

 they are known to be identical in species. A like gen- 

 eral difference is observable in the E. reticulatus from 

 different ponds, and also in the brook trout and some 



