54 HISTORY OF THE FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



Dekay has caught them weighing nearly three pounds. This species has been re- 

 peatedly transported from one pond to another with complete success. Dr. Mitchill 

 transferred them a distance of forty miles. 



It has been noticed in Maine, Massachusetts, STOKER ; New Hampshire, H. R. 

 STORER; Vermont, THOMPSON ; Connecticut, AYRES ; New York, MITCHILL, DEKAY; 

 Pennsylvania, HALDEMAN ; Ohio, KIRTLAND ; and in all the ponds and streams of the 

 great lakes, RICHARDSON, AGASSIZ ; New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, PERLEY. 



GENUS II. LABRAX, Cuv. 



Distinguished from the Perch by the scaly opercula, terminating with two spines, 

 and by a tongue covered with prickles. 



LABRAX LINEATUS, Cuv. 



The Striped Bass. 



(PLATE I. FIG. 4.) 



Scitfna lineala, BLOCK, pi. 304. 



Perca Mitchilli, Striped Bass or Rock-fish, MITCHILL, Trans. Lit. and Phil. Soc. of N. Y., i. p. 413, pi. 3, fig. 4. 



Rock Bass, MEASE, Trans. Lit. and Phil. Soc. of N. Y., i. p. 502. 



Le Bar rayt (ou Rock-fish) des Etats-Unis, Labrax lineatus, Cuv. et VAL., H. p. 79. 



Lab-ax lineatus, GRIFFITH'S Cov. x. p. 103. 



" RICH., Fauna Boreal. Americ., in. p. 10. 



" STOKER, Report, p. 7. 



" AVRES, Bost. JounT Nat. Hist., iv. p. 257. 



" DEKAY, N. Y. Report, p. 7, pi. 1, fig. 3. 



" LINSLEY, Cat. of Fishes of Conn. 



" STORER, Mem. of Amer. Acad., New Series, H. p. 273. 



" " STORER, Synopsis, p. 21. 



Color. The upper part of the body is silvery brown, with a greenish-blue tinge ; 

 the sides are lighter ; the abdomen of a beautiful, clear silvery color ; the opercula 

 are more or less golden. Eight or more longitudinal black bands pass from behind 

 the operculum towards the tail ; the upper bands are lost just back of the termination 

 of the second dorsal fin ; the three or four central ones extend to the caudal fin ; while 

 the lower ones reach only the posterior portion of the anal, or are even lost anterior 

 to that fin. Sometimes these bands are all entire ; in other specimens, more or less 

 of them are interrupted at intervals ; while in others still, instead of being straight 

 throughout, frequent undulations or curves are observed. It sometimes happens that 

 all the bands on one side of the fish are perfect, while all on the other side of the 

 same specimen are broken or irregular. Pupils black ; irides golden. 



Description. The form of this species is cylindrical. Length of head to entire 



