THE SUNFISHES 



IN the family of sunfishes (Centrarchidce) are 

 grouped a number of important species, liv- 

 ing in fresh waters, that are sought for by 

 rod and line fishermen. Excluding those of 

 the salmon, pike, and perch forms, the sunfishes 

 may be said to include nearly all of the other 

 so-called game fishes of the " sweet water." A 

 glance at the names of the species forming this 

 large family will confirm this statement, to wit : 



The strawberry or calico basses (two species), 

 the sunfishes, popularly so-called (twenty-four 

 species), the Rock basses (two varietal forms), the 

 Sacramento perch, the warmouth, and the black 

 basses, which consist of two species, the large and 

 small mouthed. 



In this connection it may be well to note that 

 the large sunfish, so-called, of the salt waters is not 

 included in the sunfish family, and has no connec- 

 tion with it, anatomically or otherwise. Its proper 

 popular name should be " head fish," as its shape 

 suggests. 



vol. ii. — 7 oy 



