964 FISHES PEBCID^. 



the highest and coolest waters that will float him. It possesses great 

 activity and strength, and is a ravenous destroyer of perch and 

 other species. Were it not so superior in every way to all others, 

 this habit might condemn it ; as it is, we regard it as one of the best 

 species we possess. In the South it is eagerly bought, and forms the 

 principal table fish for the various places of resort, where it can be ob- 

 tained." {Cope, Kept. Comm. Fish, Penn., 1881, 128.) 



In Ohio this is one of the most important food fishes. Great numbers 

 are annually taken in Lake Erie and shipped to various parts of the 

 East and South. 



DeBcrvption ofvar. galmoneum. — The body is shorter, thicker, and deeper, with slenderer 

 caudal peduncle, the diameter of which is not much greater than that of the. large eye ; 

 the month is smaller, the maxillary not reaching quite to the posterior margin of the 

 pupil, 3 in head; the eye is larger, its diameter equal to the length of the snout or that of 

 the preopercle ; the lower jaw is slightly included; the dorsal spines are evidently consid- 

 erably lower than in S. vitreum, the longest about equal to the distance from the snout to a 

 point just short of hinder margin of orbit, about 3^ in head ; the coloration is similar to 

 that of (S. vitreum, but the adult is bluer or greener, with scarcely any ot the brassiness 

 characteristic of the latter species ;- the coloration of the fins is darker, and there are 

 traces of a blackish horizontal band along the dorsal in addition to the large black blotch 

 on the hinder rays ; young specimens (from Ohio River) are more silvery, with traces of 

 faint black bars along the back ; fin- rays, dorsal XIV — 1, 20 ; anal II, 13 ; lateral line with 

 95 scales ; opercular spine single, as in S. vitreum ; cheeks largely naked ; pyloric coBca 

 three, large, longer than stomach, as in the preceding, variety ; size much less than that 

 of S. mireum. The largest specimens seen by me were about fourteen inches in length. 



Habitat, Lake Erie, Ohio River, and southward to Georgia. 



This variety is said to freqaent only bayous aad inlets, not being taken in the 

 deeper waters of the lakes, where S. vitreum especially abounds. It also reaches a 

 smaller size, according to Mr. Klippart, who asks, " Why does the Blue Pike frequent 

 the bayous and get to be no more than twelve to fifteen inches in length, and to weigh 

 not to exceed two or three pounds, if it is identical with the wall-eyed Pike which fre- 

 quents the deep waters of the lake, and attains a length of three feet and a weight of 

 eighteen to twenty pounds?" This species, according to Mr. Klippart, is, at the Lake 

 Erie fisheries, split and salted with the Sanger (S. oanadense), the two together being 

 known to tlie ©ommeroial world as "Pickerel No. 2," and bringing about two-thirds the 

 price of Pickerel No. 1(5. vitreum). 



Gbnus 71. AMMOCRYPTA. Jordan. 



Pleurolepie, Agassiz, Bull. Mas. Comp. Zool., i, 1863, 5 (preoccupied among Fossil 



Ganoids). 

 Ammoorypta, Jordan, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., x, 1877, 5. 



Type, Ammocrypta ieani, Jordan. 



Etymology, ammoa, sand; Icruptos, concealed. 



Deaonptkm. — Body slender and elongate, sub-cylindrical, pellucid in life ; head slen- 

 der ; mouth rather wide, terminals horizontal, the lower jaw included ; premaxiUaries 

 very protractile; teeth on the vomer; scales thin, ctenoid, little imbricated, present 



