CHAPTER XXXV. 



BRIEF NOTES ON FISHES. (CONTINUED.) 



THE next sunfish mentioned in the " Manual " as one 

 of the Delaware River species is that known by me as a 

 "brass-belly." My angling friends always call it the 

 "river sunfish," and this name covers an important fact in 

 its history. It is emphatically a river species, and very 

 seldom wanders out of it. Years ago, when I first dared 

 go a-fishing, my companion, whom I looked upon as a sec- 

 ond Cuvier, once suggested that we go to the river for 

 "brass-bellies," and the success of the day's fishing was 

 such that I have never forgotten it, or the name that Bob 

 gave these sun fish. Then, too, on our return we were met 

 by a colored fisherman of great experience, who paused 

 to admire " the string " we were carrying homeward, and 

 he corrected my companion by asserting that we had 

 caught " big-ears," and not " brass-bellies." However, I 

 was not convinced, and I still adhere to the name given 

 them by my companion, though the other is equally de- 

 scriptive and more refined. In considering the signifi- 

 cance of color with reference to the preceding species, 

 it will be remembered that two facts were prominently 

 noticed in regard to the mud sunfish the absence of con- 

 spicuous coloring and its nocturnal habits. In the case 

 of the "river sunfish," or brass-belly, there is, on the 

 contrary, very conspicuous coloring, and its habits are 



