50 BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. 



weight of evidence favor the adoption of salmoides for the 

 large-mouthed Black Bass ? We certainly must take this 

 view of it if we set aside Cuvier and Valenciennes' de- 

 scription of Grystes salmoides, whether we retain their 

 figure (w,hich was taken from a large-mouthed Bass) or 

 not, and we would be justified in excluding their descrip- 

 tion, for, as Professor Jordan truly says : 



" It is thus evident that Cuvier and Valenciennes com- 

 pletely confounded the two species under the name Grystes 

 salmoides, and that the uncertain salmoides of Lacepede 

 became in their hands a complex species." 



Now, if we discard both the description and figure of 

 Cuvier and Valenciennes' Grystes salmoides, we have left 

 (ignoring for the time both Rafinesque and Le Sueur) 

 only Lac<pede's Labrus salmoides and Micropterus dolomieu. 



Then, let us take Bosc's figure of Labrus salmoides, first. 

 Of this, Professor Jordan says : 



" In the figure the mouth is drawn large, and if we 

 must choose, the large-mouth is best represented." 



Now, if we conclude from this that Labrus salmoides is 

 the large-mouthed Black Bass, then the small-mouthed 

 Black Bass claims its birthright of Micropterus dolomieu, 

 which unquestionably belongs to it. 



This, in short, seems to be the view of Dr. Vaillant, 

 and it seems to me to be the correct one, though he takes 

 the figure of Grystes salmoides as additional evidence. 



There is but one contingency that could prove the 

 right of the small-mouthed Bass to the name Micropterus 

 dolomieu in a stronger, or absolute manner, and it would 

 be stronger, because incontrovertible, namely: the priority 

 of Lac6pede's description of Micropterus dolomieu to his 

 description of Labrus salmoides. 



