History of the Black Bass. 11 



ralists, again. MM. Vaillant and Bocourt, of Paris, in- 

 stead of profiting by the experience of theit predecessors in 

 this matter, tried to show that we had four species of black 

 bass, where but two really existed, and this in spite of the 

 fact that the Gallic misnomer of the type species still 

 existed as a terrible warning to them, of the folly of in- 

 dulging their national love of novelty where so grave a 

 matter as science was concerned. They proposed the title 

 Dioplites variabilis for the small-mouth form, and Dio- 

 plites treculii, Dioplites nuecensis and Dioplites salmoides, 

 for the large-mouth form, under several unimportant 

 varietal, or individual, differences. 



In 1876, Dr. G. Brown Goode restored Le Sueur's name, 

 and called the large-mouth black bass Micropterus 

 floridanus. 



In 1877, Dr. David S. Jordan restored the still older 

 name of Eafinesque for this species, and with the full 

 concurrence of Dr. Theo. Gill, designated it Micropterus 

 palUdus. 



In 1878, Dr. Jordan divided the small-mouth species 

 into two geographical varieties, distinguishing the Korth- 

 ern form as M. salmoides var. acliigan, and the Southern 

 form as M. salmoides var. salmoides. 



Finally, MM. Vaillant and Bocourt (Miss. Sci. au 

 Mexique : ined. ) adopted the generic title Micropterus, but 

 recognized four provisional species : M. dolomieu and M. 

 variabilis for the small-mouth form and M. salmoides and 

 M. nuecensis for the large-mouth form, under certain, evi- 

 dently, unimportant variations. 



Thus, it will be seen that, from the first, the nomen- 

 clature of the black bass species had been involved in great 

 doubt, uncertainty, and confusion ; and while much of the 

 complexity had been, apparently, dissipated, there still 



