GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 45 



waters of the estuaries as in the pure and crystal rapids of 

 the hiij-hhinds. 



The Black Bass being in a manner omnivorous, is prob- 

 ably not restricted in its range to any great extent by the 

 supply of any one article of his food ; though it "would be 

 affected, of course, by an abundance or scarcity of its food, 

 as a whole. Crawtish and minnows are the principal food 

 of adult Black Bass, and these are more or less plentiful 

 throu2;liout tiie waters of the United States. In addition 

 to these, they feed upon insects, larvae, frogs, etc. Pro- 

 fessor S. A. Forbes, in his studies of the food of fishes, 

 ascertained that the food of young Bass, when less than an 

 inch in length, consisted entirely of minute Crustacea [En- 

 fomosfraea). When from one to four inches long, they feed 

 almost Avholly upon insects; while crawfish and small fishes 

 constituted the principal diet of adult Bass, the small- 

 mouthed species showing an especial fondness for the 

 former. The greater prevalence of crawfish in clear, rocky 

 streams, may throw some light upon the preference of small- 

 mouthed Bass for such waters. 



I wish to say a word in this connection in reference to 

 objections heretofore urged before this Association against 

 the 'introduction of the Black Bass into Eastern waters, 

 upon the theory that the presence of the " voracious " Bass 

 would militate against the increase of shad or salmon. 

 The objections are not valid, or founded on fact ; for the 

 Black Bass prefers a diet of crawfish, when he can get it, 

 varying it with minnows, insects, larvae, and frogs, and in 

 Eastern waters he would not obiect to vouno; eels. The 



•J v' O 



pike, pickerel, pike-perch, and gar-fish, are almost entirely 

 piscivorous in their habits, which might be expected from 

 the character of their teeth, and their sins have no doubt 



