THE PERCH. 303 
ventrals and two to the anal. The Gristes one to the 
ventrals and three to the anal. The Centrarchi one to 
_ the ventrals and six to the anal. 
And in like manner, by the number of spines support- 
ing the first dorsal, we are enabled to pronounce on the 
“truth or untruthfulness of the many subdivisions of the 
perch family, as predicated by the fishermen of various 
regions, and insisted on by credulons naturalists, such as 
Dr. Smith, of Massachusetts, whose book is rendered 
absolutely valueless by the readiness which he displays 
in adopting every local legend concerning new varieties, 
and classifying new species ; until, if we believe him at 
all, we must believe that every several stream vnd pool 
from Maine to Minnesota has its own distinct variety of 
perch ; nor of perch only, but of trout, and, more or less, 
of every finny tenant of the waters. 
The truth appears to have been at length firmly es- 
tablished, and to be this—that there is but one clearly 
defined and distinct perch, perca flavescens, the yellow 
perch, found in the United States—that the perca flu- 
viatelis, common river perch of Europe, does not exist 
at all in American waters, though it is so closely con- 
nected with our fish that a casual observer would pro- 
nounce them identical—that the supposed subgenera of 
perca granulata, or rough-headed perch, perca argentea, 
silver perch, perca acuta, or. sharp-nosed perch, and perca 
gracilis, said to be peculiar to the small lakes of Ska- 
neateles, in the interior of New York, are not sufficient- 
