SMALL-MOUTHED BLACK BASS. 951 



fish are known to epicares. He is thick, solid, and heavy; has little waste and few 

 bones about him ; is sweet, tender, and juicy, and when well cooked makes a dish fit 

 for a Miig."—Hallook. 



The following account of the breeding habits of the Black Bass is 

 abridged from Dr. Henshall's " Book of the Black Bass." The habits of 

 both species are usually the same : 



" Black Bass are very prolific, the females yielding fnlly one foarth of their weight in 

 spawn. The period of spawning extends from early spring to midsummer, according to 

 the section of country and temperature of the water, being always earlier in warm or 

 shallow waters. 



"The Bass leave their winter quarters in deep water about a mouth or six weeks 

 before the spawning season, at which times they can be seen running up streams and 

 in the shallow portions of lakes in great numbers. Soon afterwards, the males and 

 females pair ofl^ and prepare for breeding. 



" They select suitable spots for their nests, usually upon a gravelly or sandy bottom, 

 or in rocky ledges, in water from eighteen inches to three feet deep in rivers, and from 

 three to six feet deep in caves and ponds ; and, if possible, adjacent to deep water or 

 patches of aquatic plants, to which the parent fish retire if disturbed. 



"The nests are circular saucer-like depressions, about twice the length of the fish in 

 diameter. They are formed by the Bass, by fanning and scouring from the pebbles all 

 sand, silt, and vegetable debrip, by means of their fins and tails, and by removing 

 larger obstacles with their mouths. This gives to the beds a bright, clean, and white 

 appearance, which in .clear water can be seen at a distance of several score yards. I 

 have seen hundreds of such nests in groups, almost touching each other, in the clear 

 water lakes of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota. 



"Sometimes the nests are formed upon a muddy bottom, with a pavement or foun- 

 dation of small sticks and leaves, from which the mud and slime have been washed and 

 Bcoared. 



"The females deposit their eggs on the bottom of the nests, usually in rows, which 

 are fecundated by the male, and become glued to the pebbles or sticks contained therein. 



The eggs are hatched in from one to two weeks, depending on the temperature of the 

 water, but usually in eight or ten days. 



"After hatching, the young fry remain over the bed for three or four days, when they 

 retire in' o deep water, or take refuge in the weeds or under stones, logs, and other 

 hiding places. 



"During the period of incabation the nests are carefully guarded by the parent fish, 

 who remain over them, and by a constant motion of the fins create a current, which 

 keeps the eggs free from any sediment or debris. After the eggs are hatched, and while 

 the young. remain on the nests, the vigilance of the parent fish becomes increased and 

 unceasing, and all suspicious and predatory intruders are driven away. 



" Their anxiety and solicitude for their eggs and young, and their apparent disregard 

 of their own safety at the time is well known to poachers and pot fishers, who take 

 advantage of this trait, and spear or gig them on their nests. 



" I have also known some who call themselves anglers, who take the Bass at this 

 time in large numbers, with the minnow or craw-fish. Of course, the Bass does not 

 'bite' at this season voluntarily, but when the bait is persistently held under their 



