PERGA. 277 



cither in their own bodies, or sometimes by actu- 

 ally carrying the body of a. dead fish, filled with 

 ova. 



Ponds may be successfully stocked by carrying 

 the eggs in water. The Chinese practise this 

 profitably. Fish may be transported from coun- 

 try to country in a jar of water, if careful to 

 change it occasionally on the voyage. An elec- 

 trical eel, which we have before noticed, in this 

 way was brought to Boston from South Ameri- 

 ca, alive* 



The following fish belongs to the fourth divis- 

 ion of the family Percoides, distinguished by irreg- 

 ular teeth, a branchial membrane with seven rays, 

 opercula dentated, or set with some sort of spines, 

 — and lastly, according to the system of classifica- 

 tion we are pursuing, should be grouped with the 

 Perseques. 



Striped Basse, Rock-Basse, — Perca La- 

 brax. [Lin. Sciaena Bloch.] On the sides are 

 parallel lines, like narrow ribbons, eight in number, 

 which give it the name of striped basse ; the scales 

 are large, of a metallic lustre ; in the operculum 

 the middle plate is serrated ; the last portion of 

 the third plate, the gill cover, constituted of three 

 pieces, has two nearly concealed spines. 



