a 
THE STRIPED BASS. 121 
So far southward as the waters of the Chesapeake Bay, 
they are found in abundance and of large size; and the 
Falls of the Potomac is a much frequented spot for tak- 
ing them. It is stated in “The American Angler’s 
Guide,” that they are found also in the rivers and bays 
of Florida. Such may be the case, though I have not 
heard them named as southern fish, even so far as 
Charleston Bay, to which Tautog have been recently intro- 
duced, by friends of mine from that region of the United 
States, while I have the sanction of that distinguished Ic- 
thyologist, the late Mr. Dunbar, of New Orleans, for believ- 
ing that few, ifany, of our northern species are common to 
the southern waters, it being his decided opinion that the 
Sheeps-head of the Gulf is a distinct fish from that of the 
Atlantic coasts. 
The Striped Bass is taken of all sizes, from a few 
ounces, up to seventy or eighty pounds, which may be set 
down as hismaximum weight. He is of the order Acan- 
thopterygii, or thorny-finned fishes, having one or more 
hard bony spines in advance of each of the soft-rayed fins. 
Its gill-rays are seven in number; its dorsal fins consist 
first of eight spines, second of one spine, thirteen soft 
rays; the pectorals of sixteen soft rays; the ventrals of 
one spine, five soft rays; the anal of three spines, twelve 
soft rays; and the caudal of seventeen rays; the opercu- 
lum serrated, suboperculum has two spines, partly con- 
cealed by the membranes, no scales on the opercula. 
The lateral line of the fish is nearly straight. It is 
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