io6 



FOX PIKE. 



back, and the second towards the tail, opposite the 

 anal fm: the tail is pretty deeply forked: general 

 colour brown, with whitish abdomen. This is said 

 to be an extremely strong, fierce, and dangerous 

 fish, swimming with great rapidity, and preying 

 on most others : it is even said sometimes to at- 

 tack and destroy bathers, in the same manner as 

 the Shark. It is found in great plenty in the tropi- 

 cal seas, and is frequent about the West-Indian 

 islands. It is in no estimation as a food, the flesh 

 being rank, and even, sometimes, according to 

 common report, highly noxious, occasioning all 

 the symptoms of the most fatal poisons; yet, in 

 spite of these bad qualities, we are assured by 

 Catesby that the hungry Bahamians frequently 

 make their repast on its unwholesome carcase." 

 The situation of the teeth of this fish, as described 

 by Catesby, seems rather anomalous^ and I know 

 not whether it may be considered as sufficiently 

 correct or not. 



FOX PIKE. 



Esox Vulpes. E. fuscus, pin?ia in medio dorsi, 7nemhrana branchi^ 



osfega triradiata. Lin. Syst. Nat. p. 51 6. 

 Brown Pike, with dorsal fin in the middle of the back, and 



three-rayed gill-membrane. 

 Vulpes Bahamensis. Cafesb. Car. 2. t. l.f, 2, 



General length about sixteen inches : habit 

 somewhat similar to that of a common Pike, but 

 remarkably slender or taper towards the tail, which 

 is very deeply and widely forked : mouth of mode- 



