THE ^ONG ISLAND PICKEREL. 187 



CHAPTER XIX. 



THE LONG ISLAND PICKEREL. 



Esox Fasciatus. — This fish has no name whatever in 

 common parlance, and naturalists have dubbed him Va- 

 ried Pickerel, Mackerel Pickerel, and other terms which 

 are unknown except to their authors. He abounds on 

 Long Island, although he is found elsewhere throughout 

 the State, and probably the most appropriate name would 

 be Banded Pickerel, as his scientific appellation justly 

 suggests. Yaried pickerel is appropriate to nothing, and 

 mackerel pike to the scomber esox, another fish altoge- 

 ther. This fish is distinguishable by having dark verti- 

 cal bands upon his sides, and being altogether of a darker 

 hue on the back than any other pickerel, while the pec- 

 toral, ventral and anal fins are lighter colored and some- 

 times reddish. A dark band passes from the eye to the 

 angle of the jaw, and the fin-rays are — 



D. 22 ; P. 16 ; Y. 10 ; A. 18 ; 0. 18. Or, according 

 to Dr. De Kay— 



D. 15 ; P. 15 ; Y. 9 ; A. M ; 0. 19f . 



This fish never exceeds one pound in weight, and one 

 foot in length ; and although endowed with all the fero- 

 city of his family, does not apparently injure the trout 

 ponds of Long Island, where he has a local habitation 

 and a name. Probably he cannot destroy the larger fish, 



