FISH OF ONTARIO. 89 



D. X., 12 or 13; A. III., 10 or n. Scales, 7-65 to 70-18; 10 or n 

 rows of scales on cheek. 



Colour, dark green above, sides and below greenish silvery ; young 

 with a blackish stripe along the side from opercle to middle of caudal fin. 

 Three oblique dark stripes across the cheek and opercles ; some dark spots 

 above and below lateral line ; caudal fin pale at base, then blackish, and 

 whitish at tip ; belly white. As the fish grows older the black lateral band 

 breaks up and grows fainter and the colour becomes more and more uni- 

 form, pale dull green, the back being darker. 



The maximum weight attained by this fish in our waters is about six 

 pounds, further south it grows to a large size. It is generally distributed 

 throughout the Province, being most abundant in waters having a mud 

 bottom in which aquatic plants flourish. It seems able to adapt itself to 

 running streams, and even to thrive in them, but in quiet lakes and bays 

 it reaches the greatest size. 



The spawning season begins in May and ends at the beginning of 

 July. A nest is scooped out of the sand or mud, in which the adhesive 

 eggs are deposited. These are guarded by the parent fish until hatched. 

 Incubation lasts from one to two weeks, according to the temperature of 

 the water, and the young bass, after emerging from the eggs, remain in 

 the nest for about a week. 



As the weather becomes cold this Bass seeks deep places, often hiber- 

 nating under rocks, sunken logs, or in the mud. In the summer its 

 favourite localities are under overhanging banks or in holes among weeds, 

 where it lies in wait for the frogs, fish and crustaceans which constitute 

 the greater part of its food. 



FAMILY PERCID/E. (THE PERCHES.) 



Body more or less elongate, terete or compressed, covered more or 

 less completely with rather small, ctenoid adherent scales. Dorsal and 

 ventral outlines more or less unlike. Lateral line usually present, not 

 extending on the caudal fin. Mouth terminal or inferior, small 

 or large, the premaxillaries protractile or not ; maxillaries large 

 or small, without distinct supplemental bone. Jaws, vomer, and 

 palatines with bands of teeth, which are usually villiform, but 

 sometimes mixed with canines, occasionally the teeth on the 

 vomer or palatines are absent. Head naked, or more or less scaly ; pre- 

 opercle entire or serrate ; opercles usually ending in a flat spine. Branchio- 

 stegals six or seven. Gills four, a slit behind the fourth ; gill membranes 

 free or connected, not joined to the isthmus ; gill rakers slender, toothed ; 

 pseudobranchiae small, or glandular and concealed, or altogether wanting; 

 lower pharyngeals separate, with sharp teeth. Anal papilla more or less 

 developed. Fins generally large ; two dorsals, the first of six to fifteen 

 spines ; anal fin with one or two spines, the usual number two. Ventrals 



