132 



NATURAL HISTORY OF VERMONT. 



Part 1. 



THE BLACK BASS. 



THE HOG FISH. 



scales firm, niodorate on the sides and 

 operculum, but very small on the cheeks, 

 back of the neck, throat and belly. Pre- 

 opcrculum with its upper limb nearly ver- 

 tical and nearly at right angles with the 

 lower, without spines or serratures; in- 

 teroperculum and suboperculum scaly up- 

 on the upper side, and smooth below ; 

 operculum triangular, with a membranous 

 prolongation posteriorly, and the bony 

 part terminating posteriorly in two thin 

 lobes, with a deep notch between them, 

 the lower lobe, which is largest, ending 

 in several short spines ; teeth small, sharp 

 and numerous in both jaws, on the lower 

 anterior edges of the palatine bones, and 

 on the vomer with a small cluster near 

 the base of the triangular tongue, all 

 standing like the pile on velvet, but 

 hooking a little inward, those on the jaws 

 largest. Fins small, brownish, and their 

 soft part.s covered with a rather thick mu- 

 cous skin; the dorsal rounded behind, 

 low at the junction of the spinous and soft 

 parts, and the spinous rays capable of be- 

 ing reclined, imbricated and concealed in 

 a longitudinal groove along the back ; 

 ventrals a little behind the pectorals ; the 

 anal under the posterior portion of the 

 dorsal, and extending a little further back ; 

 tail slightly emarginate, with the lol)es 

 rounded. Vent a trifle nearest the poste- 

 rior extremity ; eyes moderately large ; 

 lower jaw a trifle longer than the upper, 

 with several visil)le pores along its mar- 

 gin. Length of the specimen before me 

 19 inches ; the greatest depth equals one 

 third of the length, exclusive of the tail. 



Raj^s Br. 6, P. 17, V. 1 15, D. 10115, A. 

 3111,0.17. 



HisTORv. — The Black Bass, by which 

 name this fish is here generally known, 

 ranks as one of the best fishes taken from 

 our waters ; but, as is apt to lie the case 

 virith good fishes, it is much less abundant 

 than several other species which are 

 greatly its inferior in point of quality. It 

 is usually taken with the seine, audits 

 weight varies from one to five or six 

 pounds. 



Genus Etheo stoma. — Rafincsque. 



Generic Characters. — Body nearly cylindri- 

 cal and scaly ; nioulh variable with small teetli ; 

 gill cover double or triple, unserrate with a s|)ine 

 on the opercuUiiT), and uiihoiit scales ; branchial 

 rays six; rays in the ventral six, one of which is 

 spiny, no appenifage ; dorsal more or less divided 

 into two, with all the rays of the anterior portion 

 spiny ; vent nearly medial. 



THE HOG FISH. 



Ethcostoma caprodcs. — Raf. 



Rafinesque Icli. Ohiens. p. 38. Kirt. Rep. Zool. 

 Uhio, p. 1C3. Boston Jour. Nat. His. J 11— 346. 



Description. — Body lengthened and 

 cylindrical ; head elongated, flattened on 

 the forehead, with the snout protruded 

 and rounded like that of the hog ; under 

 jaw narrower and shorter than the upper; 

 mouth beneath, small. Color yellowish, 

 darkly spotted and barred with brown 

 above and on the sides; belly yellowish 

 white ; 10 brown bars or blotches on the 

 sides, the posterior one at the base of the 

 tail black, with about 20 less distinct bars 

 above and between these passing over 

 the back ; caudal and dorsal fins finely 

 spotted or barred with brown ; pectoral, 

 ventral and anal transparent, unspotted 

 and yellowish; posterior part of the head 

 above nearly black, but lighter towards 

 the snout ; eyes middling size, promi- 

 nent ; pupil black, surrounded by a bright 

 line and a yellowish silvery iris ; tail 

 slightly lunated ; scales ciliated and 

 rough ; operculum terminated posteriorly 

 in a sharp spine ; minute teeth in both 

 jaws and on the vomer ; lateral line 

 straight ; ventrals behind the pectorals 

 and under the anterior part of the second 

 dorsal. Length 3.2 inches ; pectoral fin 

 as long as the head. 



Rays, Br. 6, P. 14, V. 6, D. 14114, A. 

 12, C. 17. 



History. — This fish, though its vulgar 

 name might be thought to imply the con- 

 trary, is certainly one of the most sym- 

 metrical and beautiful fishes found in our 

 waters. It received the name of Hog 

 Fish from a resemblance in the form of 

 its snout and lower jaw to those of that 

 quadruped. It is quite comuion in the 

 mouths of the streams which fall into 

 lake Champlain, but being a slender fish, 

 and never exceeding 4 or 5 inches in 

 length, no account is made of it as an ar- 

 ticle of food, and very little is known of 

 its habits. It swims low in the water, 

 and when at rest usually lies at the bot- 

 tom. 



II.-SCIENID^ OR SCIENA FAMILY. 



Genus Corvina. — Cuvier. 



Generic Characters. — Head gibbous, caver- 

 nous, and scaly ; stones in the sack of the ear very 

 large ; no canine nor palatine teelli ; all the teeth 



