358 ZOOLOGY. 



light, to resplendent golden and purplish green reflections. The blue of the hack is of an 

 iudigo cast, and darker than that of the sides and belly, the streaks on the latter being sepa- 

 rated by lines of golden yellow. . Space between the pectoral fins golden. 



These fish are taken by the Indians at all seasons, but more abundantly in June and July, 

 ■when they are more frequently found in shallow water, and are speared. In July, 1856, vast 

 numbers were taken by some friends of mine in a seine, at which time the sacks of the females 

 were filled with young almost fully developed. The flesh of these fish was found flabby and 

 insipid, resembling, though scarcely as good as that of the weak-fish of the New York markets. 

 It would seem that they remain pregnant for a long time, as a specimen caught by me in 

 February was found by Mr. Girard to contain eighty young, of an average size of half an inch, 

 while those caught in July had their uterine sacks filled with j'oung nearly one and three- 

 quarters of an inch in length. Perhaps they bring forth several times in a year 



DAMALICHTHYS VACCA, Grd. 



Silvery Perch. 



PLATE XXXIII. 



Sp. Ch. — Male provided with a sub-pyriform sac upon the anterior third of anal. Branchiostegals, five on either side. Ground 

 color grajish olive. Scales with a golden and silvery metallic reflect. Fins unieolor. 



SvN. — Damalichthys vacca, Grci. in Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad. VII, 185.5, 321.— Ib. Gen. Rep. Fishes, 182. 



This fish, in external appearance and size, much resembling tlie porgee of Long Island sound, 

 is almost as abundant as tlie preceding species in Pugct Sound. It is readily taken with hook 

 and line, and I have cauglit them witli tlie "revolving spoon." When cooked it will rank as 

 a good second-rate fish. 



HOLCONOTUS RHODOTERUS, Agass. 



The Goldeu-barred Perch. 



Ilolconotua rhodoterm, Aoass. Amer. Jour. Sc. 9d ser. XVIII, 1851, p. 368. — Grd. Proc. Acad. Sc. Philad. VII, 1854, 141, 

 152, and 322.— Ib. Gen. Rep. Fishes, p. 193. 



Sp. Ch. — General form elongated, neither elliptical nor fusiform; frontal region sub-concave. Head sub-conical; mouth 

 small; posterior extremity of maxillary not quite reaching the vertical line anterior to rim of orbit. Eyes rather large and 

 circular; brancheoetegals five. About forty-four scales in lateral line. Bluish gray or olire above, belly and sides silvery white, 

 with three transverse bars of golden yellow, like finger marks. 



In alcohol these disappear, and in some specimens " rose-colored rows of spots are seen." — C. 



This species of fisli, resembling in appearance tlie "white perch" of the eastern seacoast, 

 comes into Shoalwater bay during May and June in great numbers, remaining until September, 

 during which time the young are produced. Tiiey swim in schools near the surface, and often 

 jump into boats and canoes — a habit which the Indians take advantage of to catch them, pushing 

 their canoes along the higli bank of channels at low tide, when the fish, crowded towards the 

 shore, jump in. Tliej' will, however, often jump in when there seems no necessity for it, and 

 sometimes even voluntarily leap high and dry on shore. I never saw any above tide-water in 

 the rivers, nor have I seen the young fry after their birth. Thej' rarely bite at a hook, 

 though I liave seen them caught in October when fishing for trout, with salmon roe for bait. 

 They are pretty good as food, resembling perch. — C. 



The only specimen of this fish that I obtained in Puget Sound I supposed was simply the 

 young of the preceding species, and, in consequence, made no notes upon it. 



