FISHES. 227 



England states. After spawning, " they resort to 'deeper waters to recuperate, and 

 all summer long are found by the angler swimming around the deep sunk pier or the 

 timbers of the rickety old bridge, snapping at shrimps or chasing the minnows ; at 

 flood tide high up amongst the water lilies, and never refusing a bait if of the right 

 sort and properly presented." The white-fish is a small fish compared with the rock- 

 fish, with which it is often associated. Sometimes, however, it reaches a respectable 

 size, and has been found over two pounds in weight. 



The only other American form of this family is a curious species found in the 

 southern part of the Mississippi valley, although it occasionally extends northward to 

 Illinois. In shape and general appearance it is like the white perch, but has a brilliant 

 brassy color, tinged with olivaceous above, and on the sides are seven to nine black 

 longitudinal bands much larger than in any other species of the family ; those below 

 the lateral line are interrupted behind, so that the posterior part alternates with two 

 of the preceding. To this feature, the scientific name, M. interrupta, refers. A 



Fig. 12T. — Morone interrupta, brass bass. 



popular name is brass bass. It attains about the same size as the white perch, and is 

 confined apparently to the fresh waters. 



The common yellow perches of Europe and North America constitute a genus 

 which is the type of the family Peecid^. This family formerly included almost all 

 of the preceding percoid types, and even by most European naturalists of to-day, the 

 Centropomidae, Pristipomidas, Lutjanidffi, Labracidffi, Serranidse, and Rhypticidas, 

 besides several others, are confounded in it. As limited by American ichthyologists, 

 however, it is much restricted, although it still contains numercfus species. These 

 have the body rather elongate, and highest near the head, the scales rather small 

 and ctenoid (rarely almost wanting), the lateral line concurrent with the back, the 

 head variable but without a keel above, two dorsal fins, the first armed generally 

 with a goodly number of spines (12 to 15) but sometimes with as few as six, and 

 the anal with not more than two spines (sometimes only one). Finally, the vertebriE 

 are more numerous than in the preceding families, ranging from thirty to forty- 

 five. (There are forty in the yellow perches.) 



The species of this family are all naturally confined to the fresh-water regions of the 



