28 



been painted. I lately saw a statement in public print from 

 the superintendent of a fish-hatchery that the pike-perch 

 [Stizostedion mtreiiin) was not so voracious or destructive 

 to other fish as the black bass or mascalonge ! Comment 

 is unnecessary, 



I found this x^rejudice existing in England, and the op- 

 position to the introduction of the black bass into British 

 waters was very pronounced, Mr, Marston, of the London 

 "Fishing Gazette," informed me that the prejudice had 

 been imbibed from American writers and anglers, who, in 

 order to convince British anglers of the tine game qualities 

 of the black bass, had unwittingly overdone the matter, and 

 conveyed the impression that it was a more voracious and 

 piscivoious iish than their pike ! I wish to say right here 

 that the reason of the failure to stock certain waters in 

 England successfully with black bass is that said waters 

 were not suitable for the small-mouthed bass — the kind 

 experimented with. If the large-mouthed species had been 

 introduced I have no doubt but it would have done well. 

 It is eminently fitted for the sluggish, grassy broads of 

 England, and woidd not be so destructive to other iishes 

 as their perch, not to mention their pike. We have in 

 America thousands of small lakes, many of them without 

 inlet or outlet, where the black bass has existed from time 

 immemorial with the pike, pickerel, perch, sunti^ies, suck- 

 ers, ciscoes, and even brook trout, without detriment to 

 either of these species; indeed, if any species suffers, it is 

 always the black bass. 



The piscivorous iishes which swallow their prey whole 

 are those with cardiform teeth, as the pickerel, or with 

 sharp and conical teeth as the dogtish {Amia calva) of 

 fresh waters, or with canine teeth, as the mascalonge, 

 barracuda, pike-perch, snappers, weak-fish, etc. All iishes 

 with unequal, sharj), conical or canine teeth may with cer- 

 tainty be pronounced entirely piscivorous in their habits, 

 feeding principally or entirely upon small or young Iishes, 



