MINNOWS AS BAITS 



fin are speckled and dark ; the back fin is usually 

 bright blue, and the median line is a crimson band. 

 It is found, or was until recently, in the Charles 

 River, Massachusetts, and is a habitant of lowland 

 streams and ponds from Massachusetts to the Rio 

 Grande, and west to Minnesota. 



The " lamper " eel, a misnomer for " lamprey," 

 is much used for luring black bass and other fishes, 

 in fact, it is, in some sections, as generally used as 

 the garden or earth worm for that purpose ; all 

 fish take them greedily. They may be known on 

 sight by their resemblance in form to that of the 

 eel, to which, however, it has not the slightest 

 affiliation in internal anatomy and habits, being 

 without bones, cartilage taking their place ; it has 

 neither jaws, limbs, ribs, nor shoulder girdle, and 

 in its youth undergoes a metamorphosis somewhat 

 similar and as characteristic as that of the tadpole 

 to the frog. The species found in New England 

 and Eastern Canada are four in number : one, the 

 sea lamprey, growing to the size of three feet, is 

 anadromous, ascending the rivers in spring to 

 spawn ; the others are found on river bottoms near 

 the shores, and their young are those used by inland 

 anglers. 



The lampreys, as has been stated, have no jaws ; 

 the mouth is a large circular disk, thickly studded 

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