228 THE YELLOW PERCH. 



OHAPTEE XXV. 



THE YELLOW PEECH. 



Perca Flavescens. The Yellow Perch has, as his 

 name indicates, a predominant yellow color on his 

 sides ; there are a number of dark vertical bars over 

 the back, and the pectorals, ventrals and anal are 

 orange. The gill-cover is serrated beneath and armed 

 with a long spine, and the fore gill-cover has a toothed 

 margin. There are two dorsals ; the ventrals are be- 

 neath and slightly behind the pectorals, and the teeth 

 are minute. The greatest weight is four or five pounds. 

 The fin-rays are as follows 



D. 13.2.15 ; Y. 1.5 ; A. 2.8 ; C. IT}. 



Unfortunately, this fish, equally despised by the 

 gourmand and the sportsman, abounds in our fine ponds 

 and lakes, that ought to be devoted to his noble con- 

 gener, the black bass. He will take the fly if it is 

 allowed to rest in the water, and after hooking a trout 

 that had fouled in the weeds, I have found a perch on 

 the second fly. He spawns in April or May, seeking 

 the sandy shore, near projecting roots, where there is 

 a depth of a foot of water. I have seen them crowd- 

 ed together, male and female, jostling and following one 

 another round and round through the roots, pressing out 

 milt and spawn, and so busily engaged that they could 



