The Sunfish Family 65 



of this exciting and novel sport the osprey broke 

 away, carrying both fish and hook. 



THE LONG-EARED SUNFISH 



(Lepomis megalotis) 



This species was first described by Rafinesque 

 in 1820 from streams in Kentucky. He named 

 it megalotis, meaning " large ear," owing to its 

 large and conspicuous ear-flap. It is one of the 

 handsomest sunfishes in its brilliant coloration, 

 and a great favorite with the youthful Waltonians 

 of the Mississippi Valley. It inhabits small 

 streams in Michigan and the Mississippi Valley, 

 and the Atlantic slope from South Carolina to 

 Florida and Mexico, and is very abundant in Ken- 

 tucky, where it is sometimes called " tobacco- 

 box," owing to its " lid-like " opercle. 



Its body is short and deep, with quite a hump 

 or arch anteriorly, making the profile of the face 

 quite steep in old specimens. The ear-flap is 

 very long and wide, blackish in color, with a 

 border usually of pale bluish or a reddish hue ; 

 its back is blue, with chestnut or orange belly; 

 sides with red spots and bluish lines ; iris of eye 

 red; lips blue. The soft rays of the dorsal fin 

 are blue, with orange between. Ventral and 



