76 THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS 



wards, a gentleman named Stalker, from Toronto, caught 

 this fish, which seemed to me about three feet in length ; and 

 although what appears large in childhood dwindles down 

 considerably when viewed after a lapse of years, yet I have 

 always had a desire to revisit that lake and catch another 

 such fish. I feel confident that it would weigh at least ten 

 pounds. 



In estimating the size of a fish it is usual to measure its 

 length, girth and weight. 



The length is determined by laying the fish flat on a board 

 and measuring the distance from the end of the snout to the 

 line joining the two projections of the fork of the tail. 



If the fish be very long, it is necessary to raise the tail 

 slightly, by placing under it a small block of wood, so as to 

 bring it into the plane of symmetry of the body. 



The girth is the greatest distance around the body of the 

 fish, measured with the back fin closed. 



The weight is best obtained by some reliable form of 

 platform scales or steelyard; the ordinary spring-balances 

 being liable to considerable error, especially if they have 

 been in constant use. 



The length and girth are usually estimated in inches, 

 and the weight in pounds or ounces (avoirdupois). 



To give some idea of the relations existing between length, 

 girth, and weight, I insert here in tabular form the dimen- 

 sions of various fish. They represent average "shoals," 

 such as swim about from place to place throughout the 

 summer months: 



