GENERAL AND SPECIAL FEATURES. 31 



various parts of the country. Mr. Mather inaugurated the 

 discussion as follows : 



" We have for many years been of the opinion that the big- 

 mouthed Black Bass has been underrated as a game fish, when 

 found in Northern waters. About the time when Dr. Gill first 

 showed that there were only two species of Black Bass, instead 

 of a dozen or so, some one praised the fighting qualities of the 

 small-mouth, and denounced the other as a ' vulgarian,' with no 

 dash in him. This has been repeated so often that it is generally 

 believed, and the fish has never recovered from the bad name 

 given to it, undeservedly, as we think. Last mouth we were 

 Bass fishing with a gentleman who was strongly prejudiced against 

 the big-mouth ; but, on taking a two-pounder, which he declared 

 before seeing it must weigh twice that figure, and ' was no big- 

 mouth,' he gave in, and 'acknowledged that there was more fight 

 in the fish than he had ever given it credit for." 



In the summer of 1885, I was at Gogebic lake, Wiscon- 

 consin, where, among a number of prominent anglers, were 

 Dr. F., and Dr. T., both of New York City. Dr. F. has 

 had a very extensive angling experience in all parts of the 

 country, and Dr. T is well known as a participant in the fly 

 and bait-casting contests in the tournaments of the Na- 

 tional Rod and Reel Association, at New York. 



Dr. F. was a firm believer in the superior game qualities 

 of the small-mouthed Bass, and declared that he could in- 

 variably tell what species of Black Bass he had hooked, 

 from its manner of " fighting." Dr. T. was confident he 

 could not do so. The matter was finally put to a practical 

 test, when Dr. F. Avas forced to acknowledge himself van- 

 quished, and that he nor any other angler could make the 

 distinction, for one fish was as " gamy " as the other. I 



