GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 255 



THE ROCK BASS. 



FRESH WATER BASS. 



Centrarchus jEneus — Cuvier. 



This is another delicate and game fisli, which^ originally 

 peculiar to the basin of the St. Lawrence, has made its way 

 through the canals into the upper waters of the Hudson and 

 the anastomosing streams. It is abundant in the great lakes, 

 and Lake Champlain. 



It, like the Black Bass, is a bold biter, taking a small fish 

 dead or alive very freely, but preferring to all other baits the 

 Cray-fish [Astacus Barto7ii). 



The general colour of this fish is a dark coppery bronze above, 

 with green reflections ; the head above dark green ; gill-covers 

 metallic green, with a dark spot on the posterior margin of the 

 operculum. The sides golden copper, with several rows of 

 oblong dark spots below the lateral line. The fins bluish 

 green. 



The body is compressed, short and broad. The dorsal outline 

 gibbous ; the lateral line following the curve of the back. Head 

 large, with a concave outline. Gill-covers scaly ; the operculum 

 with rudiments of a double angle on the posterior margin; 

 lower jaw somewhat the longest. Teeth small, conical, 

 recurved, on the maxillaries, intermaxillaries, vomer, palatines, 

 and pharyngeals. 



The dorsal fin has eleven spinous and twelve soft rays; the 

 pectorals, fourteen rays ; the ventrals, one weak spine and five 



