The Channel Fishes 327 



fin; the fins are yellowish ; the inside of the mouth 

 is scarlet. It grows to about a foot in length, 

 but occasionally to eighteen inches. It is the 

 handsomest in coloration and appearance of all 

 the grunts, and is often called " boar grunt " by 

 the Key West fishermen. A black-bass bait rod, 

 braided linen line, snelled hooks No. i-o, with 

 sinker adapted to the depth and current of the 

 water, and sea-crawfish, shrimps, prawns, or cut- 

 fish bait, will be found quite applicable for grunt 

 fishing. 



Although the yellow grunt was known to sci- 

 ence from the West Indies as early as 1790, it 

 was not recorded from the waters of the United 

 States until a century later, when in 188 1 I col- 

 lected it at Key West. This is the more remark- 

 able inasmuch as it is rather common along the 

 keys, and is moreover such a striking, well- 

 marked, and handsome species that it is difficult 

 to imagine how it had been overlooked. The 

 field has, however, been pretty well worked since, 

 and many new species have been recorded. 



The Florida Keys, like the southern portion of 

 the peninsula, are of recent formation, and are 

 underlaid by oolitic and coral limestones. These 

 coralline rocks are formed by the action of the 



