THE PIKE. 69 



British fishes, states that it is sluggish in its habits 

 and a slow swimmer, and that it takes its prey by 

 lying in wait for it like the fishing frog. From the 

 extensive geographical distribution- of this fish there 

 can be little doubt it might be acclimatised in English 

 waters. In 1865, fourteen live specimens were intro- 

 duced to the Thames, and subsequently Mr. W. A. 

 Lloyd introduced many more, but we have not heard 

 of their fate. 



Another fish, not uncommon -in North American 

 lakes and rivers, might be introduced into our larger 

 fresh-water aquaria, and be the means of enlightening 

 the general public as to the nature of by far the 

 larger number of fishes which lived during the Primary 

 epoch, and whose fossil remains occur so abundantly 

 in the Devonian and carboniferous rocks. During 

 those epochs this class of fishes reached its maximum, 

 and ever since has been slowly dwindling away. Only 

 a few species, forming about three per cent, of all the 

 fish fauna of the world, remain to represent a once 

 dominant and cosmopolitan race. We allude to the 

 Ganoid fishes, so-called from their bony scales being 

 covered externally with a glossy enamel. The stur- 

 geon belongs to one division of this interesting group, 

 and, notwithstanding its migratory habits, the latter 

 seems to have done well in the Brighton and other 

 aquaria. We are not aware whether the North 

 American gar, or bony pike (LepidosUus osseus), has 

 yet been introduced into England. It is a gracefully 



