462 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



running water, and may always be found in some quiet corner, 

 apparently meditating upon the cares and pleasures of life. Being 

 a small and dainty feeder, lie appears always satisfied and con- 

 tented. 



His back is variegated, and general color a sea green, with dark 

 brown spots on the lower part of his body, and irregular streaks 

 above; the fins are all edged with spots of brown. This fish is 

 particularly tenacious of life, and v^•ill live six hours wrapped up 

 in wet flannel. They spawn about the first of June; the female 

 swims leisurely through the water, dropping her ova, followed 

 closely by the male, who ejects spermatic fluid upon them as they 

 sink; and it is a remarkable fact that the milt always overtakes 

 the eggs before they reach the bottom. Nature never fails to 

 procreate her species. 



The Rock Bass {Centrarchus JEneus) .—This is an admirable table 

 fish, and is well known and appreciated by those living on lakes Erie 

 and Champlain, where it is considered one of the very best game 

 fish, biting freely and fighting to the last; they weigh about one 

 pound each at the age of two years. The body is compressed 

 and short, head entirely free from scales, the preopercle has small 

 scales upon it, and the opercle large ones. I observed when using 

 a strong glass, that their margins were denticulated, and trun- 

 cated at their bases. There are seven rows of scales above the 

 lateral line, and twelve below it, and they ascend in such a man- 

 ner upon the fins as to form sheaths for them as in the Scienidoe. 

 The nostrils are twofold and small, lower jaw larger than the 

 upper, teeth small and conical; their stomachs are peculiarly 

 formed, having six ccecal appendages, all of whicli are generally 

 filled with young fish. The rock bass, when first taken from the 

 water, presents a dark bronze-green appearance, with a bottle- 

 green head and metalic green gill covers. Subquadrate longitudinal 

 brown spots appear below the lateral line; the eyes are large, 

 pupils purple and surrounded by a narrow yellow ring; the ven- 

 tral fins are edged with blue, and he may be considered a very 

 beautiful fish. 



They are now quite abundant in the Hudson river, and often 

 taken by shad seines. They spawn about the 20th of May, on 



