;214 Modern Pishculture in Presh and Salt Water. 



not go into all the points of difference, but by men- 

 tioning the salient points in connection with the cuts 

 one should be able to pick them out. 



SMALL MOUTH {Micropeterus dolomieu). 



Bone of upper jaw does not extend beyond the eye 

 — the mouth is measured when shut — color nearly a 

 uniform dark green, three bronze bars across cheeks, 

 scales at base of soft dorsal and anal fins-; smaller 

 scales; eye usually red. 



BIG MOUTH (M. salmoides). 



Upper jaw extends beyond eye, color dark green 

 with a distinct median band, below which the color is 

 lighter; cheek bars not so distinct, no scales on fins, 

 scales larger. It is called another name in some parts 

 of New York and New Jersey, but as it is time that 

 was dropped I will not mention it. 



Often these fishes are found in the same waters, 

 especially in large lakes. The big mouth is best suited 

 for small, shallow lakes with mud and weeds, but I 

 usually advise to put in some of each and the fittest 

 will survive. In 1884 I put into a lake at Cold Spring 

 Harbor, New York, a bit of water of perhaps 30 to 40 

 acres, spring fed, and from 2 to 15 feet deep, 30 small 

 mouth and 4 big mouth bass,. The latter thrived, but 

 I never saw a small mouth taken from the lake. The 

 fish had come a long distance and some had fungus on 

 them when planted. 



Their culture consists in planting them and pro- 



