130 BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. 



tion that he means the large-mouthed Bass, though I am of the 

 opinion that he knew very little about either species of Black 

 Bass. Accordingly, I have used Gristes nigricans Herbert, as a 

 synonym of M. salmoides (Lac.) Henshall. J. A. H.) 



GRYSTES SALMOIDES Norris, 1864. "The following is an 

 abridgment of Holbrook's description, connected with a few 

 observations of the writer : Head and body dusky, olive above, 

 sometimes with a yellowish tint, lighter on the sides; belly 

 white ; opercles light green or greenish yellow ; first dorsal fin, 

 9 spines and 15 soft rays ; pectorals 15 ; ventrals 1 spine and 5 

 rays; anal 3 spines and 12 rays; caudal 19 rays; body elon- 

 gated, oval, straight on the belly; eye large; mouth very large, 

 lower jaw longer ; the vomer has brush-like teeth in front; teeth 

 on the palatines and pharyngeal bones ; tongue smooth, without 

 teeth in front." (NoRRis, Am. Angler's Book, 99, 1864.) 



MICROPTERUS NIGRICANS Cope, 1870. "The Green Bass is 

 abundant in all rivers of the State [N. C.] I have it from the 

 Neuse, Yadkin, Catawba, upper and lower French Broad, and 

 from the Clinch in Tennessee. Specimens from the Neuse and 

 from near Norfolk, Virginia, six in number, differ from those 

 of the other rivers, in having a deeper body, and generally 

 longer and more prominent mandible. The depth enters the 

 length 2.75 times; in the more western forms always 3.25 times; 

 in the former it is greater than the length of the head, in the 

 latter it is considerably less. Other differences are not discover- 

 able, and I regard it as a marked variety only." (COPE, Pro. 

 Am. Phil. Soc. 451, 1870.) 



MICROPTERUS NIGRICANS Gill, 1873. " Scales moderate, in 

 about sixty -five oblique rows between the head and caudal, and 

 eight (or seven and a half) longitudinal ones between the back 

 and lateral line, decreasing little towards the nape but more 

 towards the throat; with the sheath enveloping the base of the 

 soft portion of the dorsal very low and developed towards the 

 end of the fin, Head flat between the orbits, with (1) scales 



