36 Book of the Black Bass. 



the microscope. The blue, red, green, or other bright-colored pig- 

 ment is usually associated with fine oil, and occupies areolae 

 favoring accumulation at, or retreat from, the superficies, and 

 thus efi'ecting changes in the color of the fish, harmonizing their 

 exterior with the hue of the bottom of their haunts.'' 



From the nature of the pigment cells, as portrayed in 

 this description, it is easy to imagine how susceptible they 

 are to the influences of such causes as those above eniune- 

 rated. 



The Salmonidce have been more studied, perhaps, than 

 any other family of fishes, and yet in none has there been 

 more confusion in classification, owing in a great measure 

 to the differences of external appearance, as caused by these 

 various influences. 



The German naturalist, Seibold, says : " In none of 

 our native [German] fish is there such variety of color, 

 according to the different influences of food, water, light 

 and temperature, as in the toothed salmons." 



Another German scientist, Carl Peyrer, says of the com- 

 mon brook trout of Germany {Trutta fario) : " The 

 color, and partly also the size which it reaches, vary ac- 

 cording to its location, the influences of light, the season, 

 water, and food, and therefore several varieties are dis- 

 tinguished, such as the forest or stone trout, the alpine or 

 mountain trout, the gold or pond trout, the lake trout, and, 

 according to the lighter or darker coloring, the white trout, 

 the black trout, etc." Truly almost as polyonomous as our 

 black bass. 



That difference in food produces difference in coloration 

 is pretty generally admitted. Those of the salmon family 

 which feed upon Crustacea and larvae exhibit the most bril- 

 liant colors, while those which live upon insects, minnows, 

 worms, etc., are much duller in hue. 



