THE STRIPED BASS. 121 



So far southward as the waters of the Chesapeake Bay, 

 they are found in abundance and of large size ; and the 

 Falls of the Potomac is a much frequented spot for tak- 

 ing them. It is stated in "The American Angler's 

 Guide," that they are found also in the rivers and bays 

 of Florida. Such may be the case, though I have not 

 heard them named as southern fish, even so far as 

 Charleston Bay, to which Tautog have been recently intro- 

 duced, by friends of mine from that region of the United 

 States, while I have the sanction of that distinguished Ic- 

 thyologist, the late Mr. Dunbar, of New Orleans, for believ- . 

 ing that few, if any, of our northern species are common to 

 the southern waters, it being his decided opinion that the 

 Sheeps-head of the Gulf is a distinct fish from that of the 

 Atlantic coasts. 



The Striped Bass is taken of all sizes, from a few 

 ounces, up to seventy or eighty pounds, which may be set 

 down as his maximum weight. He is of the order Aca?i- 

 thopterygii, or thorny-finned fishes, having one or more 

 hard bony spines in advance of each of the soft-rayed fins. 

 Its gill-rays are seven in number ; its dorsal fins consist 

 first of eight spines, second of one spine, thirteen soft 

 rays ; the pectorals of sixteen soft rays ; the ventrals of 

 one spine, five soft rays ; the anal of three spines, twelve 

 soft rays ; and the caudal of seventeen rays ; the opercu- 

 lum serrated, suboperculum has two spines, partly con- 

 cealed by the membranes, no scales on the opercula. 



The lateral line of the fish is nearly straight. It is 

 6 



