INTRODUCTION 



the largest, game-fish that ascends rivers from the 

 sea. It is doubtful if even the king-salmon of the 

 Pacific equals it in size. The early writers upon 

 New York fishes made particular mention of this 

 fish, which was remarkable for its size and its ex- 

 cellent qualities for the table. Dr. Mitchill saw a 

 dozen at a time, weighing fifty pounds each, in 

 New York market nearly a century ago. Dr. 

 James Mease published an interesting account of 

 the bass about the same time, in which he referred 

 to individuals weighing sixty pounds. Dr. Cape- 

 hart took one at Avoca, N. C, scaling ninety-five 

 pounds; but the largest recorded specimen was 

 said to weigh one hundred and twelve pounds. 



On the Pacific coast it has not yet demonstrated 

 its full limit of growth, and we seldom hear of 

 one exceeding forty pounds ; but there is no doubt 

 that history will repeat itself in those prolific waters. 

 This bass has a long lease of life if we may judge 

 from experience in the New York Aquarium, where 

 many of its kind have flourished in captivity for 

 eleven years or longer. 



The striped bass has several smaller relatives, the 

 white bass and the yellow bass of the fresh waters, 

 and the white perch of the salt and brackish waters 

 of the Atlantic coast. All of these are game-fish 

 with good food qualities. The white bass has been 

 pronounced almost as good for the table as the 

 black bass. In European seas there is a fish which 



