History or the Black Bass. 15 



Let us take Lacepede's figure and description of Ldbrus 

 salmoides, just as they are, on their own merits, without 

 any reference to Cuvier's valuation of them ; and to render 

 the matter plain, I have reproduced, at the close of this 

 chapter, facsimile representations of Lacepede's plates of 

 both Ldbrus salmoides and Micropterus dolomieu, with his 

 descriptions, from the original edition of his "Histoire 

 Naturelle des Poissons." 



In the first place, as Pr. Jordan truly says of the figure 

 of Labrus salmoides: "if we must choose, the large-mouth 

 is best represented." This is certainly correct, for no one 

 could mistake this figure for a small-mouth black bass. 

 Then, Lacepede's description says the opening of the mouth 

 is very large {" I'ouverture de la bouche fort large ") . The 

 radial formula of the dorsal fin is given as nine spinous 

 rays and thirteen soft rays ("neuf rayons aiguillones et 

 treize rayons articules a la nageoire du dos "). This num- 

 ber of dorsal spines will hold good in seventy-five per cent, 

 of cases, in the large-mouth bass of the south; sometimes 

 there will be found but eight. The rest of the description 

 will apply to. either species. Then, again, Lacepede, on the 

 authority of M. Bosc, says the species is very abundant in 

 the rivers of Carolina, where they are called " trout," and 

 are caught with the hook baited with a minnow (" On 

 trouve un tres-grande nombre d'indivdus de cette espece 

 dans toutes les rivieres de la Caroline; on leur donne le 

 nom de traut ou truite. On les prend a I'hamegon; on les 

 attire par le moyen de morceaux de cyprin"). 



Now, if we had not been trying to reconcile Labrm 

 salmoides with the small-mouth bass, contrary to the evi- 

 dence of our own senses, so as to accord with Cuvier's 

 creation of the complex Grystes salmoides — becoming 

 blind to the points of difference and enlarging upon the 



