358 ZOOLOGY. 



These fish are taken by the Indians at all seasons, but more abundantly in June and July, 

 when they are more frequently found in shallow water, and are speared. In July, 1856, vast 

 numbers were taken by some friends of mine in a seine, at which time the sacs of the females 

 were filled with young almost fully developed. The flesh of these fish was found flabby and 

 insipid, resembling, though scarcely as good as that of the weak-fish of the New York markets. 

 It would seem that they remain pregnant for a long time, as a specimen caught by me in 

 February was found by Mr. Girard to contain eighty young, of an average size of half an inch, 

 while those caught in July had their uterine sacs filled with young nearly one and three-quarters 

 of an inch in length. Perhaps they bring forth several times a year. 



DAMALICHTHYS VACCA, Grd. 

 Silvery Perch. 



Plate XXXIII. 



Sp. Ch — Male provided with a sub-pyriform aac upon the anterior third of anal. BranchiostegaU, five on either side. 

 Ground color grayish olive. Scales with a golden and silvery metallic reflect. Fins unicolor. 



Syn. — Damalkklhys vacca, Grd. in Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad. VII, 1855, 32L — Is. Gen. Rep. Fishes, 182. 



This fish, in external appearance and size, much resembling the porgee of Long Island sound, 

 is almost as abundant as the preceding species in Puget Sound. It is readily taken with hook 

 and line, and I have caught them with the "revolving spoon." When cooked it will rank as 

 a good second-rate fish. 



HOLCONOTUS EHODOTERUS, Agass. 

 The Golden-barred Perch. 



Holconotus rhodoterus, Agass. Amer. Jour. Sc. 2d ser. XVIII, 1854, p. 368.— Grd. Proc. Acad. 8c. Philad. VII, 1854, 

 141, 152, and 322.— Ib. Gen. Rep. Fishes, p. 193. 

 Sp. Ch — General form elongated, neither elliptical nor fusiform : frontal region sub-concave. Head sub-conical ; mouth small ; 

 posterior extremity of maxillary not quite reaching the vertical line anterior to rim of orbit. Eyes rather large and circular; 

 branchiostegals five. About forty-four scales in lateral line. Bluish gray or olive above, belly and sides silvery white, with three 

 transverse bars of golden yellow, like finger marks. 

 In alcohol these disappear, and in some specimens " rose-colored rows of spots are seen." — C. 



This species of fish, resembling in appearance the "white perch" of the eastern seacoast, 

 comes into Shoalwater bay during May and June in great numbers, remaining until September, 

 during which time the young are produced. They swim in schools near the surface, and often 

 jump into boats and canoes — a habit which the Indians take advantage of to catch them, pushing 

 their canoes along the high bank of channels at low tide, when the fish, crowded towards the 

 shore, jump in. They will, however, often jump in when there seems no necessity for it, and 

 sometimes even voluntarily leap high and dry on shore. I never saw any above tide -water in 

 the rivers, nor have I seen the young fry after their birth. They rarely bite at a hook, 

 though I have seen them caught in October when fishing for trout, with salmon roe for bait. 

 They are pretty good as food, resembling perch. — C. 



The only specimen of this fish that I obtained in Puget Sound I supposed was simply the 

 young of the preceding species, and, in consequence, made no notes upon it. 



