PERCID^. 189 



ACANTHOPTERYGU. PERCID^ 



THE STRIPED SEA BASS. 



Rock Fish ; Bar-Fish; Richardson. — Labrax Lineatus ; Cuvier. 



This noble fish, which, after the Salmon family, is unquestionably 

 the most sporting fish of this continent, has its geographical range 

 from the Capes of the Delaware, in which river it is known as the 

 Rock Fish, to the coasts of Massachusetts ; unless, as I think almost 

 certain, the Bar- Fish of Richardson, which is taken in the St. Law- 

 rence, prove to be merely an accidental variety. 



The Striped Bass is properly a sea fish, entering the rivers in the 

 spring to spawn, at which time he runs as high up the courses as the 

 depth of water will permit, and lies among the bushes where the chan- 

 nels are narrow. They run far up the Hudson — are taken at the 

 foot of the Cohoes Falls of the Mohawk in great numbers, and ascend 

 yet higher up the cold, clear waters of the Delaware. 



In September and October they run along the coast in large schulls, 

 entering the inlets, and being taken in great numbers between the 

 outer bars and the beach by the sean. In the heaviest surfs of the 

 Atlantic, on the outer ocean beaches, they are captured of great size 

 with a bone or metal squid. They are a bold, ravenous and powerful 

 fish, biting voraciously at almost every sort of bait, from soft crabs 

 and clams, on a drop-line, to shiners or sparlings on trolling tackle, 

 Shad-roe in rivers frequented by that fish in the spring of the year, 

 and even the artificial fly of large size and gaudy colors, with which, 

 at the end of a hundred yards of line, they afibrd great sport, being 

 vigorous, fierce and active, nor succumbing until after a long and 

 violent conflict with their captors. 



In winter, when the weather becomes cold and stormy, they again 

 enter the estuaries of rivers, and imbed themselves in the mud of the 

 brackish bays and lagoons, which possess the advantage of being calm 

 and undisturbed by the tempests which vex the open sea. 



They attain to a very great size, even, I believe, to seventy or 



