16 BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. 



of Paris, instead of profiting by the experience of their 

 predecessors in this matter, tried to show that we had four 

 species of Black Bass, where but two really existed, and 

 this in spite of the fact that the Gallic misnomer of the 

 type species still existed as a terrible warning to them, 

 of the folly of indulging their national love of novelty 

 where so grave a matter as science was concerned. They 

 proposed the title Dioplites vnriabilis for the small-mouthed 

 form, and Dioplites trecuiii, Dioplites nuecensis and Dio- 

 ptUtes salmoides, for the large-mouthed form, under several 

 unimportant varietal, or individual, differences. 



In 1876, Professor G. Brown Goode restored Le Sueur's 

 name, and called the large-mouthed Black Bass Micropterus 

 fioridaniis. 



In 1877, Professor David S. Jordan restored the still 

 older name of Rafinesque for this species, and with the 

 full concurrence of Professor Theo. Gill, designated it 

 Microj)terus pallidus. 



In 1878, Professor Jordan divided the small-mouthed 

 species into two geographical varieties, distinguishing the 

 Northern form as 31. salmoides var. achigan, and the 

 Southern form as M. salmoides var. salmoides. 



Finally, MM. Vaillant and Bocourt (Miss. Sci. au 

 Mexique : ined.) adopted the generic title Micropterus, 

 but recognized four provisional species: 31. dolomieu and 

 31. variabilis for the sraall-mouthed form and 31. salmoides 

 and 31. nuecensis for the large-mouthed form, under cer- 

 tain, evidently, unimportant variations. As they have not 

 yet published these names, they may conclude to suppress 

 or cliange some or all of them. 



Thus, it will be seen that, from the first, the nomen- 

 clature of the lilack Bass species had been involved in 



