THE BLA CK BASSES. 



55 



This volume is, however, not easily accessible, and the important 

 differences are therefore repeated in this place. In the Large-mouth the 

 upper jaw extends far behind the eye; in the other to a point below it. 

 The Large-mouth has from sixty-five to seventy rows between the gill- 

 opening and the base of the tail, instead of seventy-two or more, while on 

 the cheek there are about ten oblique rows instead of seventeen, also seven- 

 and-a-half to eight instead of eleven rows between the lateral line and 

 the dorsal. There are other distinctions, such as the absence, in the Large- 

 mouth, of scales on the bases of the dorsal and anal fins, the smaller num- 

 ber of rays in the pectoral fins (there being thirteen or fourteen instead of 

 sixteen or seventeen), and the lesser height of the spinous dorsal. (In the 

 Large-mouth the first dorsal spin is one-half; in the Small-mouth, one- 

 third of the height of the third dorsal spin). 



'/ 



v." ■ 



THE SMALL-MOUTH BASS. 



Numerous as have been the zoological names, they are outnumbered by 

 the popular names still in use in different localities. Charlevoix, a Jesuit 

 missionary, who explored Canada in 1 7 2 1 , mentions a fish called ' ' Achigan , ' ' 

 which is thought to have been the Large-mouth. An earlier allusion to 

 this species, which in the Southern States is still called "Trout," occurs 

 in the writings of Rene de Laudonniere, who described the incidents of 

 the first Huguenot expedition to Florida in 1652, under the command of 

 Jean Ribault. The Large-mouth is known in the Great Lake Region, 

 especially in Northern New York, as the "Oswego Bass." This name 

 should not be confounded with " Otsego Bass," a local name for the com- 

 mon whitefish. In Kentucky, and possibly in Florida, it is called 

 " Jumper;" in Indiana, " Moss Bass ;" in the Southern States generally, 

 ' ' Trout, ' ' though on the Tar River of North Carolina, it is called ' < Chub, ' ' 

 and on the Neuse, "Welshman." 



