Head of Small-mouthed Bass 



CHAPTER XI. 

 The Small-mouthed and the Large-mouthed Bass. 



ALTHOUGH, to the inexperienced eye, the two species 

 ^ of bass resemble one another closely, they are in 

 reality not as much alike as the pike and maski- 

 nonge. The main point of difference lies in the mouth, 

 which enables one to distinguish them at a glance, and 

 which has therefore given them their respective names. 



In the small-mouthed bass the angle of the mouth lies 

 well in front of a vertical line drawn through the centre of 

 the eye, while in the large-mouthed species the mouth ex- 

 tends far beyond such a line, and gives the fish, when the 

 mouth is wide open, a most savage appearance. 



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