226 Bass, Pike, and Perch 



which differ somewhat in coloration and in some 

 unimportant structural differences ; otherwise they 

 are very similar to the kingfish. The former in- 

 habits the deeper water, while the latter frequents 

 the shallow sandy shores of the southern coast 

 from Carolina to Texas. Their feeding habits 

 are similar to those of the kingfish, and in their 

 season they can be captured in the same way. 



THE CROAKER 



(Micropogon undulatus} 



The croaker was described by Linnaeus, in 

 1766, from South Carolina. He named it undu- 

 latus, " undulating or wavy," owing to the undu- 

 lating character of the markings on the body and 

 fins. Its range extends along the Atlantic coast 

 and Gulf of Mexico from the Middle states to 

 Texas, though it is more abundant from the 

 Chesapeake Bay to Florida. The outline of the 

 body is somewhat elliptical and compressed, not 

 much elevated on the back, but with rather a 

 regular curve from the snout to the tail ; its depth 

 is less than a third of its length. The head is 

 about as long as the depth of the body, with a 

 prominent, somewhat blunt snout, and a rather 

 large mouth, with small barbels beneath the lower 



