6 Bass, Pike, and Perch 



on minute crustaceans and larval forms of insects 

 when young, and afterward on crawfish, minnows, 

 frogs, insects, etc., as do most fishes that have 

 teeth in the jaws. But the teeth of the black- 

 bass are villiform and closely packed, presenting 

 an even surface as uniform as the surface of a 

 tooth-brush. Such teeth are incapable of wound- 

 ing, and merely form a rough surface for holding 

 their prey securely. All truly piscivorous fishes 

 have fewer, but sharp, conical teeth, of unequal 

 length, like the yellow-perch, pike-perch, masca- 

 longe, and trout, or lancet-shaped teeth like the 

 bluefish. 



The black-bass is far less destructive to fish 

 life than any of the fishes mentioned; on the 

 contrary, it suffers the most in a mixed com- 

 munity of fishes, and is the first to disappear. 

 There are small lakes in Canada and Michigan 

 where the brook-trout and black-bass have co- 

 existed from time immemorial without jeopardy 

 to the trout. There are small lakes in Wisconsin 

 where black-bass and cisco, with other species, 

 have coexisted for all time ; and while the cisco 

 is as numerous as ever, the black-bass has almost 

 disappeared. It does not follow, however, that 

 black-bass should be introduced in trout waters ; 



