THE BLACK-BASSE. 321 



In addition to the Niagara bar, the best waters for 

 Basse are the Lake of the Thousand Isles, Lake Erie 

 and the rivers emptying themselves into it (especially 

 the Detroit river), the St. Joseph river, the principal 

 tributaries of Lakes Michigan, Huron, Simcoe, and 

 Ontario; also along the shores of those Lakes themselves 

 in about three fathoms of water, and in the Upper St. 

 Lawrence. Though found abundantly in many other 

 places besides these, they are not known north of the 

 Great Lakes. They love stony bottoms, and reefs of 

 rock, especially where there is an eddy. In large 

 rivers they will generally be found to lie near the sides, 

 and in smaller streams only in the deepest pools. 



The Black- Basse appears to be gregarious, at all 

 events it is seldom taken singly, and the angler may be 

 pretty sure of capturing several in the same place. I 

 have heard of two officers at Niagara taking with the 

 rod as many as thirty-six fish in the same place in the 

 course of a few hours. 



I have not the smallest doubt that the Black-Basse 

 is quite capable of acclimatization in our own country, 

 and that it would thrive in any suitable waters; and I 

 believe that this might be accomplished with less amount 

 of trouble and expense than would be incurred in the 

 transport of most other foreign fish, or their ova, and 

 certainly with the amplest reward in the event of success. 



Y 



