428 COMMON PIKE. Class IV. 



by the hands of the governor of the universe, 

 Frederick the Second, the 5th of October 

 1230: so that the former must have been an 

 infant to this Methusalem of a fish. 



Pikes spawn in March or April, according to 

 the coldness or warmth of the weather. When 

 they are in high season their colors are very 

 fine, being green, spotted with bright yellow; 

 and the gills are of a most vivid and full red. 

 When out of season, the green changes to grey, 

 and the yellow spots turn pale. 

 Descrip- The head is very flat; the upper jaw broad, 

 and shorter than the lower ; the under jaw turns 

 up a little at the end, and is marked with minute 

 punctures; the teeth are very sharp, disposed 

 not only in the front of the upper jaw, but in 

 both sides of the lower, in the roof of the 

 mouth, and often on the tongue; the slit of 

 the mouth, or the gape, is very wide ; the eyes 

 small. The dorsal fin is placed very low on the 

 back, and consists of twenty-one rays ; the pec- 

 toral of fifteen ; the ventral of eleven ; the anal 

 of eighteen ; the tail is bifurcated. 



TIOW. 



