366 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. 
there known by the name of water-dog. It frequently takes 
the fisherman’s bait, who prefers to cut his line and lose 
the hook, to becoming on any more intimate terms. 
Tur Common Bass never exceeds a pound in weight, but 
more generally is captured half these dimensions. In some 
streams—such as the Niagara, Iroquois, Kankakee, and 
White rivers—it positively swarms in such abundance as 
to become a trouble to the fisherman who desires catching 
heavier fish. In shape and build they much resemble a 
well-fed English perch; but instead of possessing the same 
coloring, they are of a dark copper shade along the back, 
which gradually becomes lighter as you approach the stom- 
ach. However much it may be despised by the ambi- 
tious sportsman, still-it is far’ from an unworthy fish; for 
it is a greedy feeder, exceedingly strong on the hook, and 
last, but not least, excellent when cooked. 
In American waters there are several other species of this 
genus, no less curious in appearance than their names—gog- 
gle-eyes, new lights, etc., etc.; ete.—which, although not in- 
different as food, still are unworthy of particular attention 
by the fisherman, as their size is too inconsiderable to make 
them worthy antagonists. 
