46 Book of the Black Bass. 



bass. This is owing, no doubt, to its extensive habitat and 

 wide-spread distribution, the original habitat of one or 

 other of the species being the great basin of the St. Law- 

 rence, the whole Mississippi Valley — or nearly the entire 

 range of country lying between the Appalachian Chain 

 and the Eocky Mountains — and the South Atlantic States 

 from Virginia to Florida, including also the widely-sepa- 

 rated sections of the Eed Eiver of the North and East 

 Mexico. 



It would naturally be expected, in view of this extraor- 

 dinary and expansive habitat, to find differences in color, 

 habits and conformation; indeed, it is surprising that the 

 variations are not more marked, and the number of species, 

 consequently, greater, when one considers the great natural 

 differences and conditions of the numerous waters, and the 

 varieties of climate to which this genus is native. To the 

 careless observer, however, there is but little to determine 

 the differences between the two species of black bass. I 

 have known anglers who never suspected that there was 

 any difference except in color, until I pointed out to them 

 the specific characteristics. Even those of more attentive 

 observation, but who have never seen the two species to- 

 gether, find it difficult to readily comprehend the differ- 

 ence. To the trained observer, however, it is an easy task 

 to distinguish the variations ; and when specimens of equal 

 weight, of both species, are placed side by side, the differ- 

 ence is at once apparent. 



As widely distributed as the black bass is, we find that 

 the most striking variation, in either species, is in color, 

 which will run from almost black through all the shades 

 of slate, green, bronze, olive and yellow to almost white; 

 and indeed these variations in color can be found in almost 

 any one state, and to a great extent in any one stream, or 



