COLOEATION. 53 



CHAPTER IV. 



COLORATION OF THE BLACK BASS. 



"And it is so with many kinds of fish, and of trouts especially; 

 which differ in their bigness and shape, and spots and color." — 

 IzAAK Walton. 



The external appearance of the black bass, as exhibited 

 in the colors and markings, differs so greatly and con- 

 stantly in different sections of oiir country, that it would 

 be useless to describe them minutely in a specimen from 

 any given locality; for as the vernacular names of fishes 

 are usually bestowed with reference to the outward pecu- 

 liarities of coloring, this has already given rise to much 

 confusion in naming the species. Thus they are called 

 black, green, or yellow bass, respectively, in different sec- 

 tions of the United States, and not without reason, for 

 black, green or yellow are the predominating colors of the 

 two species, though these colors are always toned down to 

 intermediate shades, with plumbeous, olivaceous or ochre- 

 ous tints. 



The color, however, is always darkest on the back, with 

 a gradual shading or paling toward the belly or abdomen, 

 which is always white or whitish. Where the two species 

 of blac^ bass are common to the same stream or lake, the 

 small-mouth bass is generally the darkest in color, though 

 this is by no means an invariable rule ; for in other waters 

 the small-mouth bass may be of a lighter or paler hue than 

 the other species — usually yellowish-olive or tawny-gray, 

 but often pale green — while the large-mouth bass will be 

 of a dark green or bronze green coloration, and sometimes 

 quite dusky. 



