THE BASSE, OR SEA PERCH. 99 



of the Basse is of considerable elegance, and the 

 colours are chaste and pleasing, without any of 

 tlie striking contrasts we have in the true Perches. 

 The upper parts are gray, with bluish reflections, 

 which gradually shade into a silvery white on 

 the lower parts ; the fins are gray, the pectoral 

 ones slightly tinged with reddish. At some periods 

 they appear to be marked with spots or clouds, 

 which was attributed to be the colouring of the 

 young only ; Cuvier, however, found very small 

 specimens perfectly unspotted, while some of 

 the larger were the reverse, and he is more in- 

 clined, from his observations, to consider it a 

 sexual difference. The extra European species 

 amount to only four or five : to them belong the 

 Rock-fish, or Striped Basse of the Americans — 

 Luhrax lineatus, Cuvier — abundant in the 

 vicinity of New York, where it is much esteemed, 

 and brought to the markets of a weight reaching 

 sixty and seventy pounds. They ascend the 

 rivers in the spring to spawn, and are then taken 

 in immense numbers with tlie hook. 



Another species was discovered in the bay of 

 Offack in the island of Waigiow, by Lesson and 

 Garnot, the naturalists to the expedition of 

 Duperry. It is of small size, of a golden green, 

 with brownish lines. Another species inhabits 

 the Japanese seas. 



The next sub-genus of Cuvier is very closely 



