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THE BIG-EARED SUN FISH. 



Pom Otis megalotis. — R a f i n e squ e . 



Jcthrlis megalotis, Ichtliyologia Ohiensis, p. 29. 



Description. — Color brownish olive 

 above, head darker; sides approaching to 

 chestnut ; belly coppery, or ruddy wliite ; 

 sides of the head and body with tiexuose 

 greenish, or bluish stri])es and spots. 

 RIembranous prolongation of the opercu- 

 liiin verylongand whollyblack; eyes dark, 

 the pupils being black, and iris brown. 

 Tail and fins brownish. All the colors 

 Jess brilliant than in the Pomotis vulira- 

 r/s, its mouth proportionably larger, its 

 tail less forked, and its pectorals broader 

 and less pointed. Depth contained a 

 little more tban twice iu the total length. 

 Length of the si)eciinea before ine 4.^ in- 

 ches, depth l.t), hciglit of the pectoral O.t', 

 leno-th of the black portion of the prolon- 

 o-ation of the operculum 0.4. 



Rays, B,, P.4|, V. 1|.3, D. 10|11, A. 

 3|I0, C. Id. 



History. — The specimen from which 

 the above figure and description were 

 drawn, was taken in Connecticut river at 

 Barnet. It bears considerable resenil)]ance 

 to the preceding species, and is there 

 known by the same vulgar names. It 

 may however readily be distinguished by 

 the trreater prolongation of tlie black 

 membranous portion tif ttie gill cover, and 

 the absence of the scarlet termination, as 

 well ashy its greater depth in proportion 

 to the length, its nearly even tail, deeper 

 cleft mouth, and its broader and less 

 pointed pectoral fiii.s. 



Genus CENTRA.RrHL's.--CMD. et Vul. 

 Cre.nerir, Chiiracters .— XSoAy oval, conijjres-iPit ; nno 

 dorsal tin ; tcelh liko velvet pile, on llie j:nvs, front 

 of Uio vomer, piilatiiio lione.s and llio liase of the 

 lonsiie; pieu|ieiij:iiluni enliro ; angle of tlie opiMc.i- 

 inm divided into two Hat points ; anal spines fioni 

 y lo II. — 



THE ROCK BASS. 



Centrarcliua (cneus; — Cuvikr 



CkhU (rnea, Lp Suenr .lonr Ac. ?c. Pliil. ll,p2;-4 



Centranliux iprirnn. Cuv. et Vnl. iii, pi. 46.— Fauna 



Uoteali .Americana (Fishes) p. 18. 



Description. — Form elliptical ; body 

 deep and thin, j Back dark ; sides yellow- 

 ish, approaching to white on the belly ; 

 a quadrangular black spot in the centre 

 of each scale, giving the sides a striped 

 appearance from the gill-opening to the 

 tail. Scales large on the sides, with the 

 exposed part circular, and the concealed 

 part finely grooved and truncated at the 

 base ; smaller on tbe back, bell}', checks 

 and operculum ; lateral line parallel to 

 the curve of the back, containing 42 

 scales ; opercula scaled, preoperculum 

 serrated at the angle ; the operculum ter- 

 minates backward in two thin lobes, with 

 an acute notch between, and a dark col- 

 ored membranous ]irolongatioii ; plate a- 

 bove the pectoral smooth. Teeth small 

 and thick like velvet pile in both jaws, on 

 the vomer, and on the edges of the pala- 

 tine bones. Eyes large and dark. Vent 

 anterior. Ventral fins directly under the 

 pectorals ; anal commences under the 8th 

 spinous ra}' of the dorsal ; dorsal and anal 

 expanded posteriorly. The first ventral, 

 the first twelve dorsal, and the first six 

 anal rays spinous. Length of the speci- 

 men before me 7.^ inches, from the snout 

 to the vent 3^ ; — to the posterior margin 

 of the operculum 2\ ; depth 2|, and con- 

 tained near twice and a half in the total 

 length. 



Rays, Br. P. 14, V. 1|-'), D. 12|10, A. 

 6|n, C. 17. 



History. — This fish is Iiere known by 

 no other name than Rock Bass. It is 

 quite a common fish in lake Chamjilain, 

 and its larger tributaries. It is usually 

 taken with the hook along the precipitous 

 rocky banks of the lake and rivers, and 

 from this circumstance it derives its name. 

 It is considered a very good fish for the 

 table, and its weight is usually about half 

 a pound. 



THE BLACK BASS. 



CrnLrarchiis fuse til lt(s. — Le Sueur. 



Cichlafasciuta, Le .Sue. Jour. Ac.Se.Pliil.ri, p 214. 



De^criptjox.— Form somewhat elipti- 

 cal, conipressed, a little convex on the 

 sides, and pointed forwards. Color dark 

 greenish al)ove, ligjiter and faintly mot- 

 tled on the sides, and gr.iyish \vhite be- 

 neath ; sides of the head fine, light green ; 



