PICKEREL AND MUSCALLONGE 203 



The muscallonge {Esox masquinongy) is the 

 largest of these, and attains a length of eight 

 feet and sometimes a weight of more than 100 

 pounds. Its habitat is the Great Lakes, the 

 upper St. Lawrence River and Canada. A 

 second species {Esox luciiis) is a native of New 

 York State and the Ohio River basin northward, 

 a Third {Esox immacuiatiis) is rarely met ex- 

 cept in the lakes of northern Wisconsin and 

 Minnesota. A fourth species is Esox ohiensis, 

 most abundant in Chautauqua Lake, New York, 

 because persistently propagated there. The 

 three last named each reach a weight of from 

 40 to 50 pounds and a length of four or five 

 feet. All rank high as game fishes and the flesh 

 of each is greatly esteemed. 



The fishery authorities of New York State 

 were the first to undertake to propagate mus- 

 callonge artificially, which began at Chautauqua 

 Lake in 1888, under the care of E. W. Irwin and 

 Jonathan Mason; but very primitive methods 

 were pursued untU superseded a few years 

 ago by the hatching- jar. 



Cultivating Muscallonge. — ^Por tEe greater 

 part of the year the muscallonge lives in deep 



