THE YELLOW BASS AND OTHER BOYS' FISHES. 4I9 



Rocky Mountains and the Alleghanies, and from Michigan to 

 Texas. Wherever it is found it is abundant. 



The other species of Lepomis are either scarce or small, or 

 else wholly confined to the lowland waters of the South, and 

 it may not be necessary to refer to them farther. 



Closely related to these are some small species of other 

 genera of Sun-fishes, found only in the lowland waters of the 

 Eastern States from Massachusetts to Florida. These are 

 the Banded Sun-fish, Mesogonistias cJiaetodon (Baird), straw- 

 color, with jet-black cross-stripes, too small for a food fish, 

 but too handsome to be overlooked by any angler. It is 

 common only in the lowlands of the Delaware River. 



Enneacanthus obesus and gloriosus, with shining spots of 

 brown and blue, have a wider range, but reach no larger size, 

 while Acantharchus promotis, the Mud Sun-fish, dark green, 

 with darker stripes, much resembles the Red-Eye or Rock 

 Bass. 



the war-mouth Chcenobryttus gulosus (Cuv. andVal). 



Description. Body heavy, deep and thick, depth 2 1-8 in. 

 length; head about 2 2-3; mouth large, its maxillary reach- 

 ing nearly to posterior margin of eye the supplemental bone 

 strong; scales on the cheeks in 7 to 9 rows; mucous pores 

 about head very large; spines very stout, the longest as long 

 as from snout to middle of eye. Color very dark green, some- 

 times almost black; three oblique bands across the cheeks, 

 and a black opercular spot, pale-margined below, as large as 

 the eye; 5'oung specimens are profusely mottled, like young 

 Rock Bass; very old specimens from the lakes are dark olive 

 green above, sides greenish and brassy, with blotches of pale 

 blue and bright coppery red, the red predominating; belly 

 bright brassy yellow, profusely mottled with bright red; lower 

 jaw chiefly \*ellow; iris bright red; opercular spot short, as 

 large as eye, black, bordered below with copper-color; 3 or 4 

 wide dark red bands radiating backward from across cheeks 

 and opercles; separated by narrow pale blue interspaces; 

 upper fins baired with black, orange and blue, the former 

 color predominating. Length 8 to 12 inches. 



A big, hearty, voracious fellow, the War-mouth lives in 



