ORDER IL BONY FISHES. MALACOPTERYGIL ABDOMINALES. 177 
and on each side are four dark-colored bands, running almost the whole 
leneth of the fish. It derives it name from the resemblance of the bands, 
which mark its body, to those of the “ Striped Basse.” 
Esocip%.— The Pike Tribe. Second Fumily of the Malacopterygii 
Abdominales. 
The members of this family, with one exception, have the dorsal fin far 
back, opposite the anal. Many species are found in fresh waters, and all 
are extremely voracious. At the head of the series is placed the- genus 
Esox. — The Pikes. They have an oblong, obtuse, and broad muzzle, 
and small intermaxillaries, furnished with small, pointed teeth in the mid- 
dle of the upper jaw, where they form two rows. The vomer, palatals, 
tongue, pharynx, and gill-arches are “roughened with teeth, like a card ;” 
and they have in the sides of the under jaw a row of long and pointed 
teeth. 
#. Lucius. — The Common Pike. This fish is noted in Europe for its 
large size, strength, fierceness, and yoracity. It flesh is good, and easy of 
digestion, and it is consequently a favorite dish on the table. It is common 
in most of the lakes of Europe, but the largest are those taken in Lapland, 
which, according to Scheffer, are sometimes eight feet long. They are 
taken there in great abundance, dried and exported for sale. According to 
the common saying, these fish were introduced into England in the reign of 
Henry VII., in 1557. They were so rare, that a pike was sold for double 
the price of a house lamb in February, and a pickerel for more than a fat 
capon. All writers who treat of this species bring instances of its vast 
voraciousness. We have known one that was choked by attempting to swal- 
low one of its own species that proved too large a morsel. Yet its jaws are 
very loosely connected, and have on each side an additional bone, like the 
jaw of a viper, which renders them capable of great distention when it 
swallows its prey. It does not confine itself to feed on fish and frogs; it 
will devour the water-rat, and draw down the young ducks, as they are 
swimming about. At the Marquis of Stafford’s Canal, at Trentham, Eng- 
land, a pike seized the head of a swan, as she was feeding under water, and 
gorged so much of it as killed them both. The servants, perceiving the 
swan with its head under water for a longer time than usual, took the boat, 
and found both swan and pike dead. But there are instances of its fierce- 
ness still more surprising, and which, indeed, border a little on the marvel- 
lous. Gesner relates that a famished pike in the Rhone seized on the lips 
of a mule that was brought to water, and that the beast drew the fish out 
before it could disengage itself’; that people have been bit by these voracious 
creatures while they were washing their legs; and that they will even 
