THE PERCH FAMILY. 97 



THE WHITE BASS OF THE LAKES. 

 Labrax albidus : De Kay. 



De Kay says : " This fish is bluish white above the lateral 

 line, a few narrow dusky parallel streaks above and beneath 

 this line ; sides and belly white ; pupils black ; irides white 

 intermixed with a little brown ; dorsal, caudal, and anal fins 

 brownish, tinged with blue ; pectoral fins whitish, tinged with 

 olive green; ventrals light transparent blue, tipped with 

 white. Length 5-10, depth 3-0. Fins, dorsal 9, 1, 13 ; pec- 

 torals 17 ; ventrals 1, 5 ; anal 3, 12 ; caudal 17. This is a 

 very common fish in Lake Erie, and is known at Buffalo 

 under the name of "White Bass." 



In the year 1844, 1 made an appointment with a fine old 

 gentleman of the medical profession, known and loved by 

 all Philadelphians, who had taken" up an idea that I was 

 something of an angler, to meet him at Mackinaw, on my 

 return from a western tour. "We were to have gone to 

 Sault St. Marie, where he had renewed his early love for 

 angling, by taking some of the large Trout in the rapids, the 

 previous summer, with an outfit which I had furnished him. 

 Much to my regret I received a letter from him, when I 

 reached Mackinaw, telling me that his presence at home was 

 indispensable, and requesting me to call at Detroit and spend 

 a few days with his son, then a lieutenant in the U. S. 

 Engineer Department, who had charge of the construction of 

 a fort there. I stopped, and we spent two long days angling 



