INTRODUCTION 



other water animals of proper size. In one of the 

 Government's fish-ponds at Washington, D. C, 

 some years ago, about 100,000 young bass of this 

 kind, were being reared artificially. Before these 

 fish were removed in the fall, their number had 

 been reduced by cannibalism to about 30,000. The 

 majority of the young weighed about two or three 

 ounces, but 500 of them weighed nearly half a 

 pound each. When placed in an aquarium, a bass 

 of four and a half inches devoured seven others 

 nearly as large as itself in one week. So much 

 for cannibaHsm, and so much by way of explana- 

 tion of the game qualities of the large-mouthed 

 bass. 



This bass spawns from April, or earlier, to July. 

 During incubation the eggs adhere to stones in 

 nests prepared by the adults, and are zealously 

 guarded from enemies. Hatching takes place in 

 one week or two weeks according to the tempera- 

 ture of the water. The young remain in the nests 

 for a week or ten days. At the age of two weeks 

 they measure about three quarters of an inch in 

 length. The parents take excellent care of the 

 young as long as they continue to swarm together, 

 but as soon as they begin to separate and seek inde- 

 pendence they are more likely to be devoured by 

 their parents than by an outside enemy. 



The hibernation which takes place in cold weather 

 has also been observed in aquarium captives, which 



