INTRODUCTION 



resembles the striped bass pretty closely, but with- 

 out stripes. It is a highly prized food-fish, espe- 

 cially at the summer resorts on the north coast of 

 France. 



Anglers who are familiar with the basses need 

 no argument to convince them of their many vir- 

 tues. They are all beautiful and shapely fish, they 

 furnish endless sport, and fill an important place 

 in contributing to the food supply. Their flesh 

 is firm, flaky, and toothsome. The reason is not 

 far to seek, for they subsist upon smaller fish, 

 crustaceans, sheU-fish, and other delicacies. In the 

 fresh waters they delight in minnows, crayfish, 

 frogs, and insects and their larvae. In the ocean 

 they find ample supphes of alewives, kiUies, silver- 

 sides, anchovies, crabs, squid, clams, and mussels. 

 Is it surprising that they rank among the very 

 choicest in our markets and among the best trophies 

 of the angler's skiU? 



The records of the United States Fisheries Bu- 

 reau show that it cost less than $5,000 to transplant 

 shad and striped bass to the Pacific coast, and that 

 the value of the catch of these two fish to the end 

 of 1904 was $955,000, — a very good return for 

 the investment and a clear illustration of the money 

 value 1^ these two favorite fishes. The striped 

 bass formed a very large share of this total, if we 

 may judge from recent accounts of the fishing. 

 At San Antonio Slough, for example, thirty miles 



