tie BpeACK BASS. OF 
It is the opinion of many anglers 
that a law should be enacted by the 
legislature of Maryland making it a 
penal offense for any person to catch a 
bass in the Potomac by any means 
whatever from May Ito June 15. This 
would effectually protect the fish while 
spawning. After that, when the fry are 
born, the bass can take .care of them- 
selves. Their breeding habits are inter- 
esting. Whenearlyspring returns the fish 
make their way up the river and its tribu- 
taries, where there are gravel and sand 
bars in the shallow water. The female 
will brush out a basin-like hole with her 
tail,and in this she will deposit her eggs. 
This is usually done early in May, and 
from this time until the fry appear the 
male and female fish never leave the 
vicinity. 
Several years ago there were many 
spawning beds below Great Falls, and 
especially around Sycamore Island, but 
since the carp were introduced in the 
river such beds have been deserted. 
The carp, in its voracity and unsatisfied- 
like appetite for anything and every- 
thing, quickly discovered that bass roe 
was a delicacy, and from that time the 
big foreign fish has made bass nests his 
steady prey, swimming over them and 
gulping up the eggs, careless of the 
old bass, who are not able to protect 
their home from the overgrown ma- 
rauder. Up near Woodmount, especi- 
ally around Great Cacapon, thousands 
‘of bass spawn annually, but even up 

* Weare indebted to the editor of the Washington 
(D.C.) Star for this very interesting and practical 
article onthe black bass. The writer has evidently 
made the subject a study, and has had an extended ex- 
perience among these fish.—ED. 
DEES POTOMAC RIVER.* 
there they are not free from the carp. 
The fry make their appearance about 
the 20th of June, and from then until 
the 15th of July a fishing rod is a use- 
less possession, so far as bass are con- 
cerned, for the newly arrived progeny 
are taking up the entire attention of 
Mr. and Mrs. Bass. It is amusing and 
interesting to watch a bass nest at this 
time, and study the methods of the old 
ones. The male takes up his position 
several yards away from the nest, and 
poises there, watching in every direc- 
tion for the approach of possible danger. 
The female hovers over the nest and 
her precious young, and never leaves 
them until they get old enough to scoot 
around for themselves. 
If a minnow is placed before her 
nose at this time, she will take it in her 
mouth, swim away four or five feet, 
drop it and return to her vigil. They 
have been known to do this a dozen 
times in an hour, and the male bass, 
while on parental watch, takes no notice 
of either food or snares. Three years 
ago seven anglers started in at Wever- 
ton, on the 25th of June, and fished 
down to the present site of the Blue 
Ridge club house. Among them were 
Dr. W. S. Harban and Messrs. Dressel 
and Gilmore of Baltimore. Each of 
the seven got from twenty to thirty 
strikes, and yet the total number caught 
was but ten fish. 
After the middle of July, however, 
the bass are hungry and active in pur- 
suit of food, and except in extremely 
hot weather they may be depended on 
to afford good sport whenever the water 
and the weather is propitious. The un- 
