REVIEW OF LOCAL FISHES 61 



comparatively indistinct cross bars and always small bright spots on the 

 body and fins. They have a black spot on the gill-cover which in the 

 Spotted-fin Sunfish is large, more than half the eye, in Holbrook's Sun- 

 fish, smaller. The Common Smifish or " Punkinseed " has the margin of 

 the tail fin concave, the gill-cover prolonged behind in a convex flap or 

 process, black with its lower posterior part always bright scarlet. When 

 highly colored it is a briUiant fish marked with blue and orange and 

 resembles more or less the Long-eared Sunfish which is equally highly 

 colored but with the bright colors in larger areas. The Long-eared Sun- 

 fish is somewhat less deep in form than the common species, its depth 

 contained in the length more than twice instead of less, and the flap on 

 the gill-cover is long and narrow, very large and entirely black. Its 

 pectoral fins are short and blunt, not reaching beyond the front of the 

 anal fin, which will aid in distinguishing it from an introduced species, 

 the Blue-gill, which has pectoral fins more or less pointed, not much 

 shorter than the head and reaching to well beyond the front of the anal. 

 The Blue-gill is one of the larger sunfish and perhaps the most im- 

 portant economically. It is dull colored, unlike the common and long- 

 eared species. 



The Black Bass are the most important of the group with a well 

 earned fame on account of their sporting value. They reach a larger 

 size than the others. The small species are rather slow-swimming, 

 deep-bodied pond fishes, which will thrive in waters where little else but 

 minnows are found. They are the first prize of the small boy angler. 

 Both Large and Small-mouthed Black Bass are sometimes found in the 

 same waters but the Small-mouthed has a preference for clear cold lakes 

 and the Large-mouthed for sluggish coastal streams. 



The remaining four strictly fresh-water species of this group belong 

 to the Perch family and have the spiny back fin separated from the soft 

 rayed fin behind it. The Yellow Perch is one of our commonest 

 fresh-water species. Its pointed snout, high back, large spiny dorsal 

 fin and the bold black bars extending half way down on the more or 

 less 3'^ellow colored body, are familiar to almost anyone who takes any 

 interest in fishes. Yellow Perch rarely exceed a pound or two in weight, 

 but occasionally grow larger. There is a record of one of four and one- 

 half pounds from Delaware Bay. The closely related European Perch 

 is known to have reached a weight of nine pounds. 



Authorities differ as to the rank they grant the Yellow Perch as a 

 food and game fish. Some pronounce it soft, coarse and insipid. Others 



