FEDERATION PIKE. 185 



market and endeavored to use as a guide. The water 

 of this pond was clear as crystal, and communicated with 

 the ocean ; it was alive with herring, perch and other 

 small fish, as thick as the gold leaf in a bottle of Eau de 

 vie de Dantsic, and may have had a great effect upon 

 the coloring and shape of the fish. At the time I was 

 struck with their appearance, and examined all the works 

 on icthyology at my command, but could find no satis- 

 factory description. 



The head was that of the pickerel family ; of the teeth 

 and fin-rays I remember nothing accurately ; the back 

 was dark brownish green, growing greener on the sides, 

 where it was interspersed with numerous lilac spots or 

 scales, and shading off, as it descended on the sides, into 

 light green with yellow scales ; then into yellow with 

 brilliant silvery scales, terminated on the belly in the 

 purest white. The dorsal fin and tail were dark green, 

 the anal burnt sienna, the ventral yellow, with, I believe, 

 the first ray red, and the pectoral yellow and reddish. 

 The back of the head was dark green, the gill-covers 

 were partially covered with scales, the iris was yellow 

 shot with pearl ; between the eye and the nostril there 

 was a spot of lighter green ; the snout and tip of the 

 under jaw were dark green ; adjoining on the under jaw 

 was a warm lilac color, becoming purplish as it advanced 

 toward the gill-cover. The lower part of the fore gill- 

 ccver was of a pearly tint, deepening into purple as it 

 ascended ; the gill-rays were a beautiful warm light 

 mother of pearl, and behind them was a yellow tint. 

 These colors were all exquisitely brilliant, and bid defi- 

 ance to my palette. The sides were variegated with 



