464 Fisuinc 1n AMERICAN WATERS. 
dark bars on each side, and a black spot just back of the gills 
on each side of the body. 
The natural feeding-ground of this excellent pan-fish 1s 
the waters which wash the shores of bays and estuaries on 
the coasts of Virginia and the Carolinas. Its weight is from 
one-fourth to a pound and a half; but generally about a half- 
pound. The edge of the small mouth is thickly covered with 
very fine short pin-teeth, merely forming a rough edge to the 
jaws. 
The colors of the spot are a blackish green on the back, 
fading to a yellowish drab at the sides, and white abdomen. 
The dorsal fins are separated, thongh both soft-rayed and 
nearly black, as is also the caudal fin; but the pectoral fin is 
light yellow, and the belly fins are white. The top of the 
head is black; eye yellow, with black pupil. The meat is 
white and succulent ; will fry in its own fat. It is taken on 
light bass tackle, with trout hooks and fine linen line. All 
lines for use in salt water should be of linen, for silk is too 
elastic to respond, and it wears out sooner than linen. Be- 
sides, the perfection in the make of linen lines renders them 
fine enough for almost any kind of fishing. The favorite 
baits are soft and hard clams; but it will take shedder-crab 
and small bits of any shiny parts of the white mullet, or scup. 
The Virginians call this fish the ‘ 
‘spot, or salt-water roach.” 
Its scales are very small, and the fish is beautiful when first 
taken from the water; and its meat being compact and rath- 
er solid, it does not soon deteriorate. It is taken from the 
first of June to the middle of October. 
Few anglers about New York properly appreciate the 
Lafayette; they confound it with the sand-porgee, which is 
one of the smallest and most worthless of the bait-thieves 
that infest the waters in October about the metropolis; 
whereas it is the most delicate pan-fish that rubs its scintil- 
lant sides on the rocky shoals above Fort Wadsworth and 
off Rabineau’s Point, at the confluence of Kill-Van-Kull and - 
Newark Bay. 
