544 THE BLACK BASS. 



thus baffles the ever-hungry aggressor. Still, it is an article of faith 

 with some anglers that a young Perch from which the dorsal fin has 

 been removed is one of the surest baits for pike. Perhaps they think 

 that the pike is so delighted to find a Perch unarmed that it seizes the 

 opportunity to feed upon a luxury which it can seldom obtain. 



The Perch is not a large fish, from two to three pounds being con- 

 sidered rather a heavy weight. Individuals, however, of much greater 

 dimensions have been, though rarely, captured. One of the finest 

 Perches ever taken in England was captured in the river Avon, in 

 Wiltshire, by a night-line baited with a roach ; its weight was eight 

 pounds. Specimens of five or six pounds are occasionally taken, but 

 are thought so valuable that the captor generally sends the account of 

 his success to some journal. 



The color of the Perch is rich greenish brown above, passing grad- 

 ually into golden white below. Upon the sides is a row of dark trans- 

 verse bands, generally from five to seven in number. The first dorsal 

 fin is brown, with a little black between two or three of the first and 

 last rays ; the second dorsal and the pectoral are pale brow^n, and the 

 tail and other fins are bright red. » 



The well-known Black Bass of America inhabits the rivers and lakes 

 of North America. 



This fine fish is a really valuable species, on account of its large 

 dimensions and the excellence of its flesh. It is very hardy, and 



The Black Bass (Grystes nigncans). 



can be taken from one locality to another if placed in a tub of water 

 covered with a wet canvas. 



It is a marvellously bold-biting fish, and affords good sport to all 

 anglers, whether they fish only for the sake of amusement, using a 

 fly or other delicate bait, or whether they seek to take their prey as 

 a matter of business and employ small fish as a bait, or the obstruc- 

 tive «' spoon," whose treacherous glitter the Black Bass is seldom able 

 to withstand. It is an active and powerful fish, and when hooked 

 struggles so long and so fiercely that it tests all the angler's skill 

 before it can be safely landed 



