SCIENTIFIC SURVEY. gg 



Sub-class Teleostei. Percoioje. 



winter and early in spring it comes np from the sea into the rivers 

 along the coast, where it is taken by seines or nets. It formerly 

 ascended quite high up our rivers, but the dams have now shut 

 them out from many of their old haunts, and they are now found 

 only in those fresh waters near the ocean that are unobstructed. 

 On the Kennebec they are now seldom seen higher than Eastern 

 river, in Dresden, where they used to be taken in considerable 

 numbers. The experiment has been tried of transferring them into 

 lakes above the dams to breed and increase, but with rather im- 

 perfect success thus far. On the seaboard on some parts of the 

 coast they come up into the creeks and arms of the sea, generally 

 during the flood tides in the night, to feed and return to deeper 

 water at ebb. They prefer rather shoal waters of the sea, with 

 rocky bottoms. They bite the hook at times very readily, and 

 many are thus taken. Fishermen use for bait, crabs or clams, but 

 they prefer, of all things, squid to anything else. DeKay says that 

 the largest individuals, called green heads, never ascend the fresh 

 water streams. He also observes that in New York harbor, as the 

 weather grows cold, they penetrate into the little bays and ponds 

 connected with the sea, and imbed themselves into the mud. 



The bass, or rock fish is highly prized by some, though the larger 

 ones are of rather coarse flesh. Those found in the market vary 

 greatly in size, from one pound upwards. Storer mentions one 

 that weighed 84 pounds. 



Specific Description. The head as well as the body of the striped 

 bass or rock fish is covered with large and pretty strongly adhe- 

 rent scales. It is rather blunt, lower jaw a little the longest. The 

 eyes are rather large, and their distance apart equal to a little less 

 than two of their diameters. The pupils are black and the irides 

 of a golden hue. The operculum is of a golden shade and has two 

 spines on its posterior edge, the lowest of which is largest. The 

 preoperculum is of the same color, and its posterior margin is finely 

 serrated, the denticulations being largest on its lower edge. Teeth 

 in the jaws and palatines, no teeth at the extremity of the tongue. 

 Holbrook says " there are two bands of minute teeth at the root 

 of the tongue, separated slightly from each other in the mesial 

 line ; the sides of the tongue are also armed with small teeth." 

 The body is cylindrical, tapering to the tail, and about four times 



