308 AMERICAN GAME. 



ray is one-fourth, part shorter than the second, both being 

 spinous : the succeeding rays are articulated and branch- 

 ed, tlie*five anterior ones being longer than the second 

 spine, the others becoming successively shorter : its 

 termination is opposite to that of the second dorsal. 

 The caudal is distinctly forked, its base is scaly, the 

 scales advancing farther on the outer rays and covering 

 one-third of their length. 



Such is the general description of the fish throughout 

 the country at large, but great allowance must be made 

 for accidental and local variations of color, some speci- 

 mens being light green, backed and barred with black, 

 with silvery bellies, others exactly as portrayed above, 

 others nearly orange, and approaching in some degree to 

 the splendor of the gold-fish. 



As I have observed, no fish is more general than this, 

 in every description of waters throughout his range in 

 the United States. From the largest rivers, so low down 

 their channels that the waters begin to be brackish, to 

 the smallest mountain rivulets ; from the mill-pond, and 

 small, clear mountain tarn, to the vast expanses of 

 Huron, Michigan and Superior, they are omnipresent 

 and numerous. 



They spawn in March, each female exuding a vast 

 quantity of spawn. So many as 992,000 ova having 

 been taken, as it is stated by Miv Brown in his "Ameri- 

 can Angler's Guide," though he does not annex his 

 authority, from a single female. 



