412 SEVENTH REPORT OF THE FOREST, FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. 



lateral band, sometimes broken up forming cross-bars ; dorsal fin with several series 

 of elongate, whitish spots, forming interrupted lines ; other fins dusky, mottled. 



The Sea Bass is the Perca varia of Mitchill, Fish. N. Y. p. 4.15. Common names 

 given by this author are Sea Basse, Black-Harry, Hanna Hills and Blue fish. 

 Schoepff (1787) gives the New York name as Black fish ; DeKay has it as the Black 

 Sea Bass, also Black Bass and Black fish. Dr. Storer records the Massachusetts name 

 of Black Perch. Other common names on the coast are Black Will (Middle States) 

 and Rock Bass (New Bedford). 



The Sea Bass is found from Vineyard Sound southward, its southern limit not 

 being accurately determined, but probably not extending below Cape Hatteras. 

 The southern form, which was described by Linnaeus from South Carolina, may be 

 distinct from the northern, and if so it should be designated by the Linnaen name 

 atraria. 



SEA BASS. 



The northern form has been found occasionally north of Cape Cod, at Nahant, 

 Salem, and Beverly Bar. Dr. Smith reported it as very common at Woods Hole in 

 1898, where it arrives in May and departs from the inshore waters about October i, 

 being most abundant from July to September. It spawns there in June. The 

 young are first seen about August I. The maximum weight is 6 pounds. In 1900 

 the Sea Bass was said to be remarkably scarce at Woods Hole. According to the 

 observers of the Fish Commission this fish is decreasing rapidly in numbers. Hand- 

 lining, even on the spawning grounds off Hyannis was remarkably poor and young 

 fish were less numerous than usual. As a rule the first adults appear in their sea- 

 sonal migration during the first or second week in May, when the water has reached 

 a temperature of 48 to 50 F. However, in spite of the cold of 1900, they appeared 

 at Cuttyhunk and Menemsha Bight on April 28 with one exception the earliest 



