808 AMERICAN GAME. 
ray is one-fourth part shorter than the second, both being 
spinous: the succeeding rays are articulated and branch- 
ed, the five anterior ones being longer than the second 
spine, the others becoming successively shorter: its 
termination is opposite to that of the second dorsal. 
The caudal is distinctly forked, its base is scaly, the 
scales advancing farther on the outer mays and covering 
one-third of their length. 
Such is the general description of the fish diionaiteat 
the country at large, but great allowance must be made 
for accidental and local variations of color, some speci- 
mens being light green, backed and barred with black, 
with silvery bellies, others exactly as portrayed above, 
others nearly orange, and approaching in some degree to 
the splendor of the gold-fish. 
As I have observed, no fish is more general than this, 
in every description of waters throughout his range in 
the United States. Jrom the largest rivers, so‘low down 
their channels that,the waters begin to be brackish, to 
the smallest mountain rivulets; from the mill-pond, and 
small, clear mountain tarn, to the vast expanses of 
Huron, Michigan and Superior, they are omnipresent 
and numerous. 
They spawn in March, each female exuding a vast 
quantity of spawn. So many as 992,000 ova having 
been taken, as it is stated by Mr. Brown in his “ Ameri- 
can Angler’s Guide,” though he does not annex his 
authority, from a single female. 
