PLATE LXIV. 
Esox rostro subulato. Bloch Fisch. Deutsckl. I. p. 23S. 
Sea Pike, Gar-Fish, or Sea Needee. Penn. Bril. ZooL 
v. 3, p. 324. No. 154 
The Esox Belone, or Gar-fish, of the English, is a common species 
in all the European seas ; migrating annually in large shoals from the 
depths of the ocean to the shore. They appear on our coasts in the 
spring, commonly announcing the arrival of the mackrel, but remain- 
ing with us for a much shorter length of time than that fish. They 
deposit their spawn close to the shore, among the rocks, and sea weeds, 
where the young are hatched, and after a certain time retire. We 
have seen the young fry of this fish on several of our coasts during the 
summer months. 
As an article of food the Gar-fish is held in far less estimation than 
the Mackrel, to which its flavour in some degree approaches. By 
many people the flesh of this fish is considered unwholesome, and even 
poisonous, no doubt from an unfounded prejudice against it, arising 
from the singular circumstance of the bone becoming of a fine grass- 
green colour in boiling. In Holland they are taken it) vast quantities, 
but are seldom eaten, being most frequently employed as bait in the 
cod fisheries by the Dutch fishermen. . 
The usual size of the Gar-fish on our coasts, is from a foot to- 
eighteen inches, or two feet in length : sometimes they may attain 
to three feet in length, but that very rarely. According to Renard this 
fish is found, at times, in the eastern parts of the world eight feet 
