8o Bass, Pike, and Perch 



ring, however, around the iris of the eye, and this 

 was probably the occasion of the name. 



Like the calico-bass, the crappie has received 

 a great many local names. In the northern 

 region of its range it is variously known as 

 white croppie, crappie, barfish, bachelor, etc., and 

 in Kentucky as newlight, CampbelHte, and tin- 

 mouth, while farther south it is called silver perch, 

 speckled perch, goggle-eye, sac-a-lait, shad, etc. 

 It inhabits the Ohio and Mississippi river basins 

 from Kansas to Louisiana and Texas, and is 

 more abundant in Kentucky and other Southern 

 states than farther north. Its range, however, 

 has been extended by transplantation to many 

 states. In general features it resembles the 

 calico-bass very much, though to the trained eye 

 the differences are very apparent. It is not quite 

 so deep nor so robust as the calico-bass. The 

 mouth is somewhat larger, and the snout more 

 prominent or projecting on account of a depres- 

 sion or indentation in front of the eye. The eye 

 is a little larger, and the membrane of the jaws 

 is quite thin and transparent, hence one of its 

 names, — " tin-mouth." The crappie has but six 

 spines in the dorsal fin, whereas the calico-bass has 

 seven, whereby they may be readily distinguished. 



