FISHES OF PENNSYLVANIA. 117 

at the base; a broad black band near middle of tail and a broad whitish margin ke- 
hind. The dark lateral band characteristic of tholarge-mouthed species is not found 
in the small-mouth. In the adult the prevailing color is olive-green, the stripes on 
the head remaining more or less distinct. 
One of the early names for the small-mouthed black bass is that of 
growler, which appears in the writings of Cuvier, who was under the 
impression that the name was applied because of a noise sometimes 
produced by this bass. At the time of his writing the name growler 
was pretty generally identified with the black bass. Among the names 
applied to this fish by Rafinesque are lake bass, big bass, spotted bass 
and achigan. He also mentions it under the names painted tail, bridge 
perch, yellow bass, gold bass, brown bass, dark bass, minny bass, little 
bass, hog bass, yellow perch, black perch, trout pearch, black pearch, 
streaked head, white trout and brown trout. In the southern states the 
small-mouthed form is known as the trout perch and jumper. In Ala- 
bama if is called mountain trout. Some persons style it the bronze 
backer. The most appropriate name and the one by which it is best 
known is that of black bass, or small-mouthed black bass. 
This species is indigenous to the upper parts of the St. Lawrence 
basin, the Great Lake region and the basin of the Mississippi. East of 
the Alleghenies it is native to the headwaters of the Ocmulgee and 
Chattahoochee rivers, but north of these streams, although not origi- 
nally an inhabitant of the waters, it has been widely distributed by arti- 
ficial introduction. In Pennsylvania the introduction of black bass at 
State expense, according to the report of the commissioners, dates from 
October 26, 1870, as may bo seen from the following extract: 
“On October 26, 1870, the first black bass, about four hundred and 
fiity, from Harper’s Ferry, were placed in the Delaware just below the 
Lehigh dam. The project was suggested and urged by the late Thad- 
deus Norris, and the funds for the purpose were raised by him and by 
Howard J. Reeder, Esq., and G. W. Stout, the latter raising in Easton 
three hundred and thirteen dollars and Mr. Norris about one thousand 
dollars in Philadelphia.” 
In the report for 1878 is to be found the following account of the suc- 
cess attending the efforts to acclimate this valuable fish : 
“Tt is to be found in all the streams of any size and is making its way 
into the smaller streams. It occupies a river stretch of one thousand 
miles, and is estimated to be worth forty-five thousand dollars a year.” 
This bass does not grow so large as the large-mouthed, seldom ex- 
ceeding eight pounds in weight, and averaging but two and one-half 
pounds. A fish of the latter weight will measure fifteen inches in length, 
while one of eight pounds would measure two feet. 
The food of the black bass consists of crawfish, frogs, insects and their 
larve, minnows and other aquatic animals of suitable size. The young 
can be fed on small fresh water crustaceans, such as Daphnia and 
Cyclops. 
