28 Book of the Black Bass. 



Orystes Gunthes, Intro. Study of Fishes, 392, 1880. 

 Buro GiJNTHER, Intro. Study of Fishes, 393, 1880. 

 Micropterus Cope, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., xvil, 32, 1880. 

 Micropterus Henshall, Book of the Black Bass, 65, 1881. 

 Micropterus Cope, Kep. Pa. Fish Com., 130, 1881. 

 Micropterus Jordan & Gilbert, Syn. Fishes N. A., 484, 1882. 

 Micropterus Jordan, Geol. Surv. Ohio, iv, 942, 1882. 

 Micropterus Vaillant & BocouRT, Miss. Sci. au Mexique, 1883. 

 Micropterus Gill, Standard Nat. Hist., iii, 230, 1885. 

 Micropterus Jordan, Manuel Vertebrates, 120, 1888. 

 Micropterus Jordan & Evermann, Fishes of N. A., 1010, 1896. 

 Micropterus Jordan & Evermann, Amer. Food and Game Fishes, 



355, 1902. 

 Micropterus Henshall, Bass, Pike, Perch, and Others, 1, 1903. 



Ettmologt: McxpAi (mikros), small; TzrepSv {-pteron) , fin 

 Type : Micropterus dolomieu Lac6p6de. 



GENERIC CHARACTERIZATIONS. 



Head well developed, its length varying from 3 to 3J times 

 in length of body; compressed; rather full between the eyes; 

 snout rounded; profile straight; lower jaw prominent and 

 projecting. Scales on cheek, opercle, subopercle, and inter- 

 opercle, but none, or few, on the preopercle. Eye moderately large, 

 nearly median, but rather nearer the snout than the preopercle. 

 Nostrils round and normal. 



Mouth large, with the cleft oblique; the posterior extremity of 

 the upper jaw extends nearly to, or beyond, the posterior border 

 of the eye. Lips but slightly developed. Preopercle smooth and 

 rounding at its angle. Opercle nearly triangular, emarginate be- 

 hind, ending in two flat points. Subopercle extends beyond the 

 opercle, ending in a membranous point. Interopercle rounded be- 

 low. Gill openings large. Branchiostegals six on each side. 



Both jawa are armed with villiform teeth, curving backward. 

 Patches of villiform teeth on vomer, palatine and pharyngeal 

 bones. Gill-rakers long and slender, and armed with teeth. 



