NATURALIZATION OF FISHES. 205 



Philadelphia as far as Savannah, white perch occupy an 

 important place amongst " pan fish." They are hardy and 

 prolific, and much better eating than the yellow or barred 

 perch. If they could be made to take the place of the 

 latter in ponds or lakes where these now abound, it would 

 be a great desideratum. 



The Crappib, so called by the habitans of French 

 extraction in Missouri, and " Sac a lai" by the Creoles of 

 Louisiana, is the Pomoxis hexacanthus of Cuvier. This is 

 one of the most beautiful percoids known. It is found in 

 sluggish waters from the Carolinas southward on the At- 

 lantic, and in the bayous and lakelets of the Mississippi 

 Yalley, from the Gulf to Minnesota. An excellent en- 

 graving and a full description of it can be found in the 

 "American Anglers' Book," p. 111. It exceeds some- 

 what the white perch in size. It bites freely at a baited 

 hook, is a good pan fish, and well worthy, if only for its 

 beauty, of naturalization in the eastern states. 



The Black Bass of the Lakes (^Grystes nigricans) has 

 been naturalized in many of the lakelets of New England 

 and New York, and might be introduced in such waters 

 further south. These fish, some years back, made their 



in large numbers, apparently with the effort of passing through the 

 locks into the canal. It is said that a herring fishery might be 

 established here that would be worth some thousands of dollars, 

 but for its interfering with the passage of the boats. It may be 

 that some of them pass through the locks and spawn in the canal, 

 and the fry pass out, thus keeping up this yearly crowd of appli- 

 cants for admission. 

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