﻿MANUAL 
  OF 
  FISH-CULTURE. 
  163 
  

  

  Two 
  notable 
  early 
  instances 
  of 
  the 
  successful 
  transplanting 
  of 
  black 
  

   bass 
  in 
  a 
  primitive 
  way 
  may 
  be 
  mentioned, 
  the 
  fish 
  being 
  transferred 
  

   in 
  the 
  tender 
  of 
  a 
  locomotive 
  — 
  once 
  in 
  1853, 
  when 
  the 
  Potomac 
  was 
  

   stocked, 
  and 
  again 
  in 
  1875, 
  when, 
  under 
  the 
  direction 
  of 
  the 
  Commis- 
  

   sioner 
  of 
  Fisheries 
  of 
  Virginia, 
  adult 
  black 
  bass 
  were 
  moved 
  from 
  the 
  

   Eoanoke 
  Eiver 
  across 
  the 
  divide 
  to 
  the 
  New 
  liiver, 
  a 
  tributary 
  of 
  the 
  

   Kanawha. 
  Up 
  to 
  1875 
  the 
  Kanawha 
  contained 
  no 
  bass, 
  and 
  its 
  edible 
  

   fishes 
  consisted 
  almost 
  entirely 
  of 
  catfish, 
  but 
  for 
  the 
  past 
  ten 
  or 
  a 
  

   dozen 
  years 
  thousands 
  of 
  bass 
  have 
  been 
  taken 
  from 
  New 
  River 
  and 
  its 
  

   numerous 
  tributaries, 
  draining 
  ten 
  counties 
  of 
  Virginia 
  and 
  running 
  

   through 
  parts 
  of 
  North 
  Carolina 
  and 
  West 
  Virginia. 
  New 
  River 
  was 
  also 
  

   successfully 
  stocked 
  with 
  rock 
  bass 
  by 
  the 
  Virginia 
  Fish 
  Commission, 
  

   the 
  fish 
  being 
  brought 
  from 
  Holston 
  River, 
  a 
  tributary 
  of 
  the 
  Tennessee 
  

   in 
  Washington 
  County, 
  Virginia, 
  in 
  June, 
  1876, 
  and 
  deposited 
  in 
  the 
  

   smaller 
  tributaries 
  of 
  New 
  River, 
  in 
  Montgomery 
  County, 
  Virginia, 
  

   whence 
  they 
  have 
  colonized 
  the 
  entire 
  New 
  River 
  basin. 
  

  

  Few 
  fish 
  thrive 
  in 
  water 
  of 
  such 
  varying 
  extremes 
  of 
  temperature 
  as 
  

   the 
  large-mouth 
  black 
  bass, 
  and, 
  to 
  a 
  certain 
  extent, 
  the 
  small-mouth. 
  

   The 
  former 
  are 
  found 
  in 
  water 
  covered 
  with 
  ice 
  and 
  in 
  that 
  standing 
  

   at 
  100° 
  F. 
  ; 
  but 
  with 
  both 
  species 
  sudden 
  changes 
  of 
  temperature 
  fre- 
  

   quently 
  prove 
  fatal. 
  

  

  The 
  small-mouth 
  black 
  bass 
  seeks 
  pure, 
  rapid, 
  fairly 
  clear 
  streams, 
  

   and 
  lives 
  at 
  higher 
  elevations 
  and 
  in 
  clearer 
  waters 
  than 
  the 
  large-mouth. 
  

   In 
  the 
  northern 
  part 
  of 
  its 
  range 
  it 
  becomes 
  torpid 
  in 
  winter, 
  but 
  in 
  

   the 
  warmer 
  waters 
  of 
  the 
  South 
  it 
  is 
  active 
  throughout 
  the 
  year. 
  The 
  

   large-mouth 
  black 
  bass 
  also 
  likes 
  pure, 
  clear 
  water, 
  but 
  often 
  inhabits 
  

   the 
  hot 
  and 
  stagnant 
  bayous 
  and 
  ponds 
  of 
  the 
  South. 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  

   seen 
  in 
  great 
  numbers 
  under 
  conditions 
  of 
  high 
  temperature 
  and 
  muddy 
  

   water 
  which 
  would 
  ordinarily 
  be 
  fatal 
  to 
  all 
  forms 
  of 
  aquatic 
  life 
  except 
  

   of 
  a 
  very 
  low 
  order. 
  Many 
  die 
  under 
  these 
  conditions, 
  but 
  numbers 
  

   live 
  for 
  months 
  and 
  some 
  possibly 
  for 
  years. 
  Those 
  from 
  hot, 
  stagnant 
  

   waters, 
  however, 
  have 
  a 
  soft, 
  flabby 
  flesh, 
  and 
  are 
  apt 
  to 
  be 
  infested 
  

   with 
  parasites; 
  they 
  spoil 
  quickly 
  and 
  are 
  not 
  palatable. 
  Bass 
  do 
  not 
  

   voluntarily 
  seek 
  such 
  unfavorable 
  surroundings, 
  and 
  their 
  presence 
  

   there 
  is 
  attributable 
  to 
  accident. 
  The 
  bass 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  Mississippi 
  

   valley 
  under 
  these 
  conditions 
  have 
  been 
  left 
  by 
  the 
  spring 
  freshets, 
  

   and, 
  failing 
  to 
  go 
  out 
  with 
  the 
  slowly 
  receding 
  waters, 
  they 
  reproduce 
  

   in 
  great 
  numbers 
  in 
  the 
  ponds 
  and 
  lakes 
  tem])orari]y 
  formed 
  in 
  the 
  

   depressions 
  of 
  the 
  land. 
  The 
  surroundings 
  are 
  generally 
  either 
  rich 
  

   alluvial 
  meadows 
  or 
  swampy 
  forests, 
  from 
  which 
  tlie 
  receding 
  water 
  

   drains 
  an 
  infinite 
  quantity 
  of 
  natural 
  food 
  for 
  the 
  sustenance 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  

   retained 
  in 
  the 
  temporary 
  ponds. 
  

  

  The 
  rock 
  bass 
  is 
  indigenous 
  to 
  the 
  Great 
  Lakes 
  region 
  and 
  Missis- 
  

   sippi 
  Valley, 
  and 
  there 
  is 
  evidence 
  to 
  show 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  native 
  to 
  certain 
  

   streams 
  on 
  the 
  east 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  Alleghauies. 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  successfully 
  

   introduced 
  into 
  many 
  new 
  waters. 
  In 
  its 
  native 
  waters 
  it 
  is 
  found 
  in 
  

   the 
  winter 
  months 
  under 
  ice, 
  and 
  stands 
  a 
  high 
  summer 
  temperature, 
  

  

  