percim:. 9 



examples), in the length of the head, 1^ to 1} diameters from the end of the snout, 

 and 1 apart. Posterior edge of the preopercle strongly serrated, the largest 

 toobh being at its rounded angle, and three more forwardly-directed along its 

 lower limb. Two opei'cular spines, the rest of the bones of the head unarmed. 

 Jaws of about the same length anteriorly : the maxilla reaches to beneath the first 

 third or middle of the orbit. Nostrils patent. Teeth villiform in the jaws, the 

 outer row in the upper somewhat larger than the rest : in an almost crescentic 

 spot on the vomer, in a band on the palatines, and also at the base of the tongue. 

 Fins occasionally the first spine in the anterior dorsal fin is absent, the first two 

 are short, the third 2/3 the length of the fourth, which is equal to the two 

 succeeding which are the highest, and slightly exceed the length of the rays of 

 the second dorsal. Third anal spine slightly longer than the second. Caudal 

 forked. Scales ctenoid. Lateral-line nearly straight, passing from the upper 

 edge of the opercle to the centre of the base of the caudal fin. Intestines 5 short 

 ccecal appendages. Colours gray on the back, becoming silvery on the sides and 

 beneath. A dark spot at the upper half or two-thirds of the opercle, darkest 

 posteriorly. Dorsal, anal, and caudal fins stained with gray externally : pectorals 

 and ventrals yellowish-white. The young have usually some fine dark spots 

 scattered over the body. 



Names. This fish, the Labrax or "sea wolf" of the Greeks, and the Luptcs or 

 " wolf " of the Romans, probably received its names due to its voracity and 

 likewise to its cunning when hunting in shoals. 



It is the Anglo-Saxon beers, now commonly known as bass or basse, which in 

 old works may be spelt bace : sea-dace of Kent : white salmon of Heme Bay. 

 Draenog and gannog, Welsh. Gapemouth, Scotland. White-mullet and king of 

 the mullets, Belfast. Le bars, or loup, French. Zeeharpel, or Zee-bars, Dutch. 



Habits. A strong, active, and voracious fish, generally living in shoals ; and 

 although essentially marine, occasionally ascending rivers above tidal influence. 

 They mostly arrive from the deep sea about May, returning there in October or 

 November, and are very rarely seen throughout the winter months. They 

 consume almost every form of animal substance, preferring such when living, 

 they prey principally on small fishes and Crustacea, and have also been recorded 

 as eating sea- weeds. Couch states that they are very partial to Onisci, after which 

 they venture among rocks during tempests, when their prey become washed out 

 of their abodes : and it is during such stormy weather that they hunt along the 

 shore, even in shallow water, although at other times they take their station 

 under some sheltering rock, from which they dart out on passing prey. On 

 August 10th, 1878, Lord Ducie, when yachting off the south-west coast of 

 Ireland, observed that "the bass were hunting the sprats to the surface, the gulls 

 assisting. This went on all day along the strand up to the embouchure of the 

 Jung River." Bass prefer the vicinity of wooden piers to those constructed of 

 stone, evidently due to the greater abundance of food at the former to what 

 obtains in the latter locality. In Portsmouth Harbour, observes Mr. Barron, 

 in its various branches, large ones are frequently obtained, while numbers of 

 the young frequent Haslar Lake, where they appeared to feed on the Actiniae 

 which abound. 



The Romans, aware of their habits, kept them in fresh-water aquaria, where 

 they are asserted to have bred : the same experiment has been tried by Mr. Arnold, 

 in Guernsey, with success, and their flavour was asserted by Dr. M'Culloch to be 

 much improved by the change. 



Means of capture. The trawl : by deep sea lines or hand lining, also with 

 small seine nets. In Belfast Bay they are said to be most frequently captured 

 along with salmon, sea-trout, and mullets. At Mevagissey, in Cornwall, Mr. Dunn 

 informed me that they found it impossible to net them unless the seines could be 

 dragged on to a sandy beach : this however cannot be accomplished, owing to the 

 nature of the ground, so they must be hauled into boats : stones are therefore 

 thrown into the water, or other means employed to frighten the encircled fish, so 

 that they do not take the opportunity to escape under the foot-rope. But bass 

 are not to be thus alarmed, and as soon as the foot-rope is raised, so surely do 



