The Sunfisb Family 53 



The rock-bass was first described by the French 

 naturalist, Rafinesque, in 1817, while travelling in 

 America. His specimens were from New York 

 and Vermont, which he named rupestris, " living 

 among rocks." In the Northern states it is gener- 

 ally known as the rock-bass, but in Kentucky 

 and other states of the Middle West it is called 

 red-eye, goggle-eye, etc. 



Its original habitat was from Canada and Lake 

 Champlain southward along the Mississippi Valley 

 to Louisiana and Texas, but its range has been 

 extended to many other states east and west by 

 transplantation. 



In its general appearance it resembles some- 

 what the black-bass, but it is a deeper fish and is 

 more compressed. Its dorsal and anal fins are 

 comparatively larger and stronger. It has a large 

 eye and a capacious mouth well filled with small 

 teeth, some on the roof of the mouth being rather 

 sharp. 



The color is of various shades of olive-green, 

 with brassy or coppery reflection, more or less 

 mottled with black, forming broken and indistinct 

 lines along the sides. The iris of the eye is 

 scarlet, hence " red-eye " ; there is a black spot on 

 the angle of the gill-cover and dark mottlings on 



