326 Bass, Pike, and Perch 



The methods of angling, and the tackle and baits 

 used for grunts, are given in the opening para- 

 graphs of this chapter, to which the reader is 

 referred. 



THE YELLOW GRUNT 



(Hamulon sciurus) 



The yellow grunt was first noticed by Bloch, 

 in 1790, from the West Indies; but owing to a 

 mistake as to its proper identification it was 

 named sciurus, meaning "squirrel," by Shaw, in 

 1803, based on Bloch's description and figure. 

 The name squirrel is in allusion to the grunt- 

 ing noise it emits when captured, which is com- 

 pared to the barking of that animal. It is 

 abundant in the West Indies and south to Brazil, 

 and is quite common about Key West. 



The yellow grunt is very similar to the com- 

 mon grunt in the conformation of its body and 

 fins, but has a rather curved profile instead of a 

 depression in front of the eye. The teeth are simi- 

 lar, with about three strong canines on each side. 

 The scales on the upper part of the body are rela- 

 tively smaller than in the black grunt. Its color 

 is uniformly brassy yellow, with about a dozen 

 longitudinal and distinct stripes of sky-blue, some- 

 what wavy, extending from the snout to the anal 



