186 FEDERATION PIKE. 



irregular broken horizontal black lines, extending nearly 

 to the tail, which was forked. Toward the belly these 

 lines disappeared ; and the scales of the whole body 

 were small and numerous. The depth was unusually 

 large in proportion to the length, made greater probably 

 by my drawing the outline round the fish as he lay 

 on his side. I took three outlines ; but the best speci- 

 men weighed six pounds and a half, and was twenty-four 

 and a half inches long to the centre of the tail, and 

 twenty-three to the root, by five and a half deep, the 

 head having a length of seven and a half inches. 



These fish were not only remarkably beautiful, but 

 were excellent on the table, and differed utterly in both 

 particulars from all other pickerel. They were taken in 

 Summer among the water lilies, with the belly of a yel- 

 low perch or a piece of themselves, and surrounded as 

 they were by the most delicious food, visible to our eyes 

 in unlimited quantities, were naturally dainty. 



The above description accords wonderfully with that 

 of Dr. Mitchill, and there can be no doubt that the fish 

 are identical, although I did not count the fin-rays, which 

 Dr. Mitchill gives at 



Br. 13 ; D. 13 ; P. 13 ; Y. 9 ; A. 13 ; C. 21. 



