62 PRELIMINARY REPORT 



* 



young. Head contained 3 to ?A times in the length. Depth 3 to 

 3^. Eye U to 2 in the snout, 5 to 6 in the head. Dorsal fin X, 12 

 to 13, deeply notched. Anal II, 10 or 11. Scales 7-65 to 70-18, about 

 10 rows on the cheek. Length 12 to 18 inches. 



This valuable food fish is very common in nearly all parts of 

 the state, especially in the lakes; much more common than the 

 preceding. Specific notes concerning its distribution are unneces- 

 sary here, since it has been taken in nearly all the regions where the 

 Nat. Hist. Surv. and others have made collections. 



Family PERCID^. The Perches. 



Body elongate; generally covered with ctenoid scales, lateral 

 line usually present, but not always; mouth variable; upper jaw 

 protractile; no distinct supplemental maxillary bone. Teeth pres- 

 ent on the jaws and usually also on the vomer and palatines; a 

 spine generally present on the posterior edge of the opercle; bran- 

 chiostegal rays 6 or 7. Gill membranes free from the isthmus; a 

 slit behind the fourth gill; gill-rakers slender and toothed; pharyn- 

 geal teeth sharp. Dorsal fins 2, 6 to 15 spines in the first; anal fin 

 with 1 to 2 spines ; ventral fins inserted far forward (thoracic) their 

 rays I, 5. Air-bladder small or even absent; a small number of 

 pyloric caeca. 



This interesting family is known at present to be represented 

 in our state by 9 genera and 16 species, 3 species being valuable 

 food fishes, the remainder never reaching more than a few inches 

 in length and not generally distinguished from the minnows by the 

 ordinarv fishermen. 



