250 SCIENCE OF FISHING. 



It is possible too that certain fish-eating birds may carry the 

 spawn of fishes, and often some very small stream during 

 high water connects the heads of two different water- 

 courses, or fish may even be carried by underground streams, 

 but not likely any great distance. 



While I have shown a map showing in general where 

 each kind of fish is found, this is not strictly accurate and 

 that the distribution of fishes may be better understood I will 

 give as accurately as possible, in text, the range of each. 



The small-mouthed black bass was originally found only 

 in the region surrounding the Great Lakes, in the upper 

 Mississippi valley, the Ohio valley, and the streams on the 

 slopes of the southern Alleghany mountains. But the fish 

 has been introduced into both eastern and western waters, 

 wherever the water is reasonably cool and rapid, so that the 

 fish is now found in all of the eastern states and some 

 of the western ones. It is not found in the South except in 

 the mountain streams, and I understand it does not exist 

 farther north than the Height of Land, in Canada. The 

 large-mouthed species is found mainly in the South, but 

 ranges almost as far north as the small mouth, being found in 

 the more quiet waters. One species or other is now found 

 in every state east of the Great Plains. 



On the map I have shown the sunfishes collectively, by 

 a single character, and it should be understood that this char- 

 acter may mean any kind of sunfish other than the black 

 bass. 



The common sunfish or pumpkin seed is found in all of 

 the country south of and adjoining the Great Lakes, the 

 headwaters of the Mississippi, and all of the states lying 

 east of the Appalachian Mountain system. The long eared 

 sunfish is found in the same territory and also all the way 

 down through the Mississippi valley, and on to Mexico. 

 The blue sunfish or bluegill inhabits the entire Mississippi and 

 Ohio valley, and the southern states. The red breast sunfish 



