8 NEW-YORK FAUNA. 



the ventral fins : it is composed of nine spinous rays, of which the first is very short, the 

 second longer, the third and fourth longest, subequal ; thence rather suddenly decreasing to 

 the last. A simple ray is interposed in the very short interval between this and the second 

 dorsal, which is composed of twelve branched rays. The first branched ray is longest ; the 

 others gradually become smaller to its termination, which is anterior to the end of the anal fin. 

 The pectoral fins arise a short distance behind the branchial aperture ; are short, obliquely 

 subtruncate, and composed of sixteen rays. The ventral fins originate slightly behind the 

 pectorals, with the first ray short, robust and spinous. The anal fin arises under the fourth 

 ray of the second dorsal ; the three first rays are short, spinous and robust. The portion with 

 branched rays resembles in shape the second dorsal, but extends beyond it. Caudal fin 

 broadly lunate. 



Color. Bluish-brown or bluish above, silvery on the sides and beneath. Along each side 

 are from seven to nine inequidistant black parallel stripes ; the upper series of stripes pro- 

 ceed directly to the base of the caudal fin, the lower ones terminate above the anal. These 

 stripes are occasionally indistinct, sometimes interrupted in their course, and more rarely each 

 alternately a continuous stripe, and a row of abbreviated lines or dots. Pupils black ; irides 

 silvery. 



Length, 6-0-48-0. 



Weight one to seventy pounds, and even more. 



Fin rays, D. 9.1.12; P. 16; V. 1.5; A. 3.11 ; C. 17 f. 



This is a pretty generally distributed species among us, and affords a savory article of 

 food. They take the hook with great freedom, and afford much sport to the angler. They 

 are more frequently, however, taken with the seine. They may be seen in our markets 

 during the whole year ; and although the larger fish may be considered as coarse and dry, 

 yet the smaller ones are exceedingly delicate eating. 



The geographical limits of the Striped Bass appear to extend from the capes of Delaware 

 bay to the coast of Massachusetts. I am strongly inclined to suspect the Bar-fish of Richard- 

 son to be merely the first Var. P. mitchilli, interrupta, of Mitchill, characterized by rows of 

 spots, five above and five below ; the lateral line so regularly interrupted and transposed as 

 to appear like " ancient church music." Mitchill's variety has " the parallelism of the lines 

 " broken ; and their integrant parts, the specks and spots, resemble confused rows of printing 

 " types." Should the supposition of their identity be correct, the geographical range of the 

 Striped Bass extends from Delaware bay to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. 



Dr. Mitchill has truly and concisely remarked that this bass is a salt-water fish, ascending 

 fresh-water streams to breed during the spring, and for shelter during the winter. According 

 to the observations of Mease, they make their appearance along the coast in large scholes,* 



* Schole, a word of Saxon origin, denoting a company of fish, and frequently corrupted into school and shoal. We take this 

 occasion to state that the word bass is probably of Dutch origin, and applied to sea perches ; and it appears to have been adopted 

 into our language anterior to the time of Willughuy. In itself, it may have been corrupted from paartck or perch. 



