484 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY IV. 
2 5 1 . — :TS I T K O P T E R r S Laccpede. 
Black Bass. 
{Euro and Grijstes Cuvier and Valenciennes: CalUurus, DioplUes, Lepomis, etc., Rafiu- 
esque.) 
(Lac<?pede, Hist. Nat. Poiss. iv, 325, 1802: type Micropfents dolomieu Lac.) 
Body elongate-ovate, compressed, tlie back not much elevated. Head 
oblong-conic. Month very large, oblique, the broad maxillary reaching 
nearly to or beyond the posterior margin of the eye, its supplemental bone 
well developed. Lower jaw prominent. Teeth on jaws, vomer, and pala- 
tines; usually none on the tongue. Preopercle entire; operculum end- 
ing in two flat points, without cartilaginous flap. Branchiostegals nor- 
mally 0. Scales rather small, weakly ctenoid. Lateral line continuous. 
Dorsal fin divided by a deep notch, the spines low and rather feeble, 10 
in number; anal spines 3; the anal fin much smaller than the dorsal; 
caudal fin emarginate. Size large. Two species, among the most im- 
X>ortant of American ‘‘game-fishes.’’ small; -rc/jwv-, fin; the dor- 
sal fin in the typical specimen having been injured, its po.sterior rays, 
detached and bitten olf short, were taken by Lacepedefor a separate fin.) 
a. Mouth very large, the maxillary in the adult extending beyond the orbit ; scales 
rather large, 65-70 in the lateral line; 7-8 series above lateral line. 
759. yi. saSmoides (Lac.) Henshall. — Large-moidhed Black Bass; Oswego Bass; 
Green Bass; Bayou Bass. 
Body ovate-fusiform, becoming deeper with age, moderately com- 
l)ressed. Head large. Mouth very wide, the maxillary in the adult 
reaching beyond the eye; in the young shorter. Scales on the cheek 
in about 10 rows; scales on the trunk comitaratively large. Lingual 
teeth sometimes present. Dorsal fin very deeply notched. Colora- 
tion of the young dark-green above; sides and below greenish-silvery; 
a blackish striite along the sides from opercle to the middle of the 
caudal fin; three dark oblique stripes across the cheeks and opercles; 
below and above the lateral band some dark spots; caudal fin pale at 
base, then blackish, whitish at tip ; belly white. As the fish grows 
older the black lateral band breaks ui) and grows fainter, and the color 
becomes more and more of a uniform jiale dull green, the back being 
darker; a dark opercular blotch usually pre.sent. Head depth 3. 
D. X, 13; A. Ill, 11; scales 8-GS-lG. L. 1-2 feet. Rivers of the 
L'nited States, from the Great Lakes and Red River of the Xorth 
to Florida and Texas; everywhere abundant, preferring lakes, bayou.s, 
