688 



EEPORT — 1897. 



The specimen agrees, therefore, with Acipenser sturio, L. 



7. On the Esocidce {or Luciidce) of Canada. 

 By Professor E. E. Prince, Ottaiva. 



The author stated that a few weeks hefore the date of the meeting of the British 

 Association he had the good fortune to receive a specimen of a pike from Dr. 

 Coutlee, of Sharbot Lake, Ontario. It appeared to be a new and undescribed 

 species, and differed in many features from the recognised species found in the waters- 

 of the Dominion, which were five in • number. Briefly stated, these features are 

 respectively — 



It may be added that in the three first-named species the cheeks and gill-cover 

 are completely clothed with scales ; but in Esox lucitis the lower half of the gill- 

 cover is bare, and in the Maskinonge {E. nobilior) both the cheek and gill-cover ar& 

 scaleless over the lower half. 



The fish now described for the first time agrees with E. lucius in having th© 

 lower half of the gill-cover scaleless ; but it differs from all the above species in 

 other features. Thus the branchiostegals are 15, the dorsal fin-rays 19, the anal 

 fin-rays 16, and the scales are small, viz., 130 or more in the lateral line. This 

 line is deeply pigmented, in contrast to E. lucius, in which it is indistinctly 

 marked. The colouration is very distinctive. Unlike the whitish spotted colour- 

 ation upon a grey or dark green ground of E. lucius or the blackish spotted marking 

 upon a light grey or green ground colour as in the Maskinonge, or the barred or re- 

 ticulated pattern upon E. americanus and E. reticulatus respectively, this fish 

 exhibits upon the back and down the sides a bright metallic green, almost of an 

 emerald tint, finely mottled with black. All the fins are plain grey, vdth a brick 

 red tint towards the margin. A glistening purple blue colour forms six or seveo 

 striking patches on the head and gill-cover ; viz., one below the eye, one above the 

 eye, one above the eye posteriorly situated, one on the cheek, one at the upper 

 posterior corner of the gill-cover, one just above the upper edge of the branchio- 

 stegal membrane, and one on the flattened portion of the maxillary. The chin 

 is jet black. The fish is somewhat restricted in range, and is locally called the 

 blue pike. 



