106 BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. 



brownish yellow on the sides; belly opaque white. Body com- 

 pressed oval, back arched, belly less curved than the superior 

 outlines ; breadth as 2 to 7. Lateral line concurrent with the 

 back. Head small, little less than J the length of body; pre- 

 opercle covered with small scales, scales larger on opercle. The 

 eye is on a line between the snout and posterior angle of the 

 opercle, J distant from snout, and is about f of an inch in 

 diameter ; the irides are dark brown above and pale yellow 

 below. Nostrils small, double. Tongue toothless ; both jaws 

 with small brush-like teeth, small patches of the same on each 

 side the pharynx as well as on the branchial arches. Branchial 

 rays 7. The first dorsal fin has 10 sharp spines, the anterior ray 

 being short. The second dorsal is covered at its base with 

 scales, and has 15 rays, preceded by an obtuse spine of J their 

 length ; this fin is arched and rounded posteriorly. The pec- 

 torals beginning immediately beneath the point of the opercle 

 are yellow, nearly obovate in shape, and have 18 rays. Ventrals 

 commencing slightly posteriorly have 5 branched rays. The 

 anal terminating beneath the posterior point of the second dorsal 

 has 2 sharp, and 1 longer obtuse spine, and 12 branched rays. 

 The caudal is very slightly forked and has 18 rays. . . . This 

 fish differs from the Oswego Bass, to which it has so close a re- 

 semblance, in having a smaller head, and its belly less protuber- 

 ant, though the position of the fins, their shape, and number of 

 spines and rays, are almost identical." (NoRRis, Am. Angler's 

 Boole, 103, 1864.) 



MICROPTERUS ACHIGAN Gill, 1866. "The common small- 

 mouthed species (Micropterus achigari) is, in truth, well entitled 

 to command the efforts of the pisiculturist, and could be intro- 

 duced most advantageously into many sheets of water at present 

 affording fishes of inferior quality." (GiLL, Rept. Com. Agric. 

 408, 1866.) 



GRYSTES FASCIATUS Putnam, 1867. "This species, which is 

 the common Lake Bass and Black Bass of the great lakes, Lake 



