FISHES OF NEW YORK 525 



which are half as wide as the eye, one of them passing along the 

 lateral line; the lowermost stripe is somewhat below the middle 

 of the depth. 



In the southern United States from New Jersey to Florida 

 the striped bass is known as the rock or rockfish. In the north- 

 ern states the name striped bass is more generally used than 

 the other, specially along the coast. In the Delaware, Susque- 

 hanna and Potomac rivers it is called rockfish. Greenhead and 

 squid hound are names applied to large individuals found in the 

 sea in New England waters. One of the old names of the fish 

 is streaked bass. 



Eockfish and striped bass, according to Schoepff (1787), are 

 among the early New York names for this highly prized species. 

 Dr Mitchill (1814) calls it MitchilPs perch, striped basse and rock- 

 fish. De Kay describes it as the striped sea bass. Streaked bass 

 is another name in use in 1815, and a very interesting account of 

 the fish under this name is published by Dr James Mease in the 

 first volume of the Transactions of the Literary and Philosophical 

 Society of JSfeiv York. Dr Mease in this article states that rock- 

 fish weighing from 25 pounds to 60 pounds are called green- 

 heads. At the time of his writing the fishing-ground for the 

 Philadelphia and New York markets was between Long Branch 

 and Cranberry inlet, an extent of about thirty miles, and the 

 great places of winter resort were Motetecunk, 30 miles from 

 Long Branch, and the rivers of Elk and Egg Harbor. 



At the time of Dr MitchilTs report the greatest run occurred 

 late in the fall, and great hauls were made during the cold- 

 est season, including some very large fish. He saw, however, 

 a dozen at a time weighing 50 pounds each in New York 

 market during very mild weather in early October. 



The range of the striped bass or rockfish includes the entire 

 Atlantic coast from the Gulf of St Lawrence to the Gulf of 

 Mexico, the fish entering rivers and ascending them long dis- 

 tances. In the Alabama river this fish is known to be taken 

 every year and some large individuals have been obtained from 

 that stream. It has been captured also in the lower Mississippi. 



