2 4 AMERICAN FISHES. 



specimen, a female fish, which was taken in the Niagara River, near 

 Lewiston. The Bass is most abundant in the bays and inlets about Cape 

 Hatteras, in the Chesapeake and Delaware Bay region, and in the pro- 

 tected waters of Long Island and Southern New England. In winter it 

 occurs in considerable numbers in the Altamaha River, and is not unusual 

 in the markets of Charleston, South Carolina. 



The species was introduced into California some years ago, and Jor- 

 dan reported, in 1880, that several specimens had been captured along the 

 coast. 



It is particularly abundant in the great estuaries and the open stretches 

 of large rivers. It ascends the Potomac to the Great Falls, twelve miles 

 above Washington, the Hudson to Albany, the Connecticut to Hartford, 

 and the Saint Lawrence to Quebec. Before the erection of the dam in the 

 Susquehanna individuals were taken as high up as Luzerne. It is very 

 curious that Giinther should state that the European species of Bass are 

 "almost exclusively inhabitants of the sea, entering brackish but never 

 fresh waters, whilst the American species seem to affect principally fresh 

 waters." It is true that America has species of Roccus exclusively fluvia- 

 tile in distribution, but not true that the European form does not ascend 

 rivers. Badham, who is a sufficiently accurate commentator on the classi- 

 cal authorities, remarks: "Though born, and in a great measure, bred at 

 sea, it was only those taken in fresh waters which fetched fancy prices, for 

 most rivers were thought to impart flavor and to improve the condition of his 

 solids; but as tawny Thames has a pre-eminence among rivers for the 

 quality of its Perches, so had tawny Tiber for the quality of its Basses. 

 Many went so far as to ignore the existence of this fish from any other 

 stream." 



The young fish may advantageously be confined in " stews" or artificial 

 enclosures. This was done successfully by Arnold on the Island of Guern- 

 sey, and the experiments of Clift at Mystic, Connecticut, were, I am told, 

 reasonably satisfactory. 



No one species among the many which they encountered, seems to have 

 astonished the early colonists of America by its abundance and choice 

 qualities so much as did the Bass. Capt. John Smith in his "New Eng- 

 land's Trials," wrote: 



" The Basse is an excellent Fish, both fresh & sake, one hundred whereof 

 salted (at market) have yielded 5 pounds. They are so large, the head of 

 one will give a good eater a dinner, & for daintinesse of diet they excell the 



