86 OLD BLACK BASS 



Nature has provided the bass with three 

 kinds of coloration: the protective, which 

 makes him dark on back and light on belly. 

 Seen from above, dark objects in water 

 blend almost indistinguishably with their 

 medium, so the bass's dark back shields him 

 from fish hawk's keen eye ; while from be- 

 low him and looking up all objects appear 

 lighter. Thus his belly blends him with 

 his environment like a chameleon. Then 

 there is the sex coloration, which produces 

 the darker male and the lighter female. 

 But finally is the nuptial change which 

 comes at mating time. It was this which 

 now touched Gloria and Gay and Friendly 

 and their sisters with a rare pale silver as 

 alluring to the males as maiden's shy blush 

 is to the eager eyes of her lover. 



Unlike the viviparous white perch, which 

 carries her young in her body as do the 

 higher mammals, the bass are oviparous. 

 First the roe, then the eggs, next the tiny 

 spawn, and last the school. So the fish 

 paired and went their nesting way as man 

 and maiden pair to build the home. 



There was no hesitation now. Old Black 

 Bass and Friendly went together, she 



