THE BASS 231 



becoming rare northwards. In the British Isles it 

 is most abundant on the southern coasts, and in the 

 summer months the shoals may journey up the 

 rivers for considerable distances, in Sussex, for 

 example, ascending the Arun to Pulborough and 

 the Cuckmere River to Alfriston. 



The Bass is a voracious fish, and the shoals go 

 in active pursuit of their prey, which is chiefly small 

 fishes and crustaceans. It has long been celebrated 

 for its cunning and is difficult to capture in nets, 

 seizing any opportunity of escape which offers, 

 swimming under the foot-rope if the bottom be 

 uneven, or burrowing when the bottom is level and 

 sandy. This species spawns in the sea near the 

 coasts, usually rather late in the summer, and the 

 eggs are pelagic. 



Bass afford fine sport and also much vexation to 

 the angler, for in addition to their strength and 

 cunning they are very capricious, and it is sometimes 

 almost impossible to hit on the right bait. As food 

 they have been held in much esteem since the 

 days of the Romans, who kept them in freshwater 

 aquaria, a practice which is said to improve the 

 flavour. 



The word Bass is a corruption of the middle 

 English Bcwse, from Bcxcrs^ the Anglo-Saxon name 

 for the Perch. 



The Black Bass i^Microptcnis) belong to an 

 allied family {Centrarchidce), which is confined to 

 the rivers of North America. There are two 

 species, the Large-mouthed and Small-mouthed 

 Black Bass, which have been introduced with 

 more or less success into some of our English 

 rivers. 



