98 BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. 



add to them C. minima of Le Sueur, as I have never been able 

 to find in the lagoons about our rivers and the lake any fish 

 that answers to his description, except the young of the Black 

 Bass at a certain stage of growth. 



"This species is found universally in our western waters. It 

 frequently is taken by hooks and in seines, and also gives amuse, 

 ment to our marksmen in the spring, when it runs into shallow 

 water for the purpose of "spawning. At this time it is often 

 shot with rifles. Its flesh resembles in flavor that of the Black 

 Fish (Tautoga Americana Cuv.) and by many persons is es- 

 teemed as the best fish for the table that our western waters af- 

 ford." (KIRTLAND, Bost. Jour. Nat Hist. V, 28, 1842.) 



GRYSTES SALMOIDES DeKay, 1842. "Greatest depth, to its 

 length as one to four nearly ; its thickness not quite half of its 

 depth. Profile not very declivous. Lower jaw longest with 4 

 or 5 pores under each of its branches. Minute teeth in broad 

 bauds. Opercle terminates in two moderate points, of which 

 the uppermost is short. Branchial rays six and occasionally 

 seven; a notable variation, but which is positively established. 

 Humeral bone smooth. Scales ciliate, moderate; ninety in a 

 longitudinal series and 36-40 in a vertical line. Scales only on 

 opercular bones and cheek ; small ones on the soft portions of 

 dorsal, anal and caudal fins. Lateral line concurrent with the 

 back. Dorsal fin commences about the middle of the pectorals ; 

 the fourth ray highest. Pectoral and ventral fins small. Cau- 

 dal fin slightly crescent shaped. 



"The adult, deep greenish brown, with a bluish black spot on 

 the point of the opercle; young with from 25-30 brownish longi- 

 tudinal bands, which appear to become effaced with age. Length 

 6'0-24'0. (Copied from Cuvier.) Fin rays: D. 10, 13 or 14; 

 P. 16; V. 1, 5; A. 3, 11 or 12; C. 17." (DEKAY, Fishes 

 N. Y. 26, 1842.) 



CENTRARCHUS FASCIATUS DeKay, 1842. " Body compressed; 

 back arched gibbous ; profile descending obliquely to the rostrum, 



