PERCA. 277 



either in their own bodies, or sometimes bv actu- 

 ally carrying the body of a dead fish, filled with 

 ova. 



Ponds may be successfully stocked by carrying 

 the eggs in water. The Chinese practise this 

 profitably. Fish may be transported from coun- 

 try to country in a jar of water, if careful to 

 change it occasionally on the voyage. An elec- 

 trical eel,, which we have before noticed, in this 

 way was brought to Boston from South Ameri- 

 ca,. alive. 



The following fish belongs to the fourth divis- 

 ion of the family Percoides, distinguished by irreg- 

 ular teeth, a branchial membrane with seven rays, 

 opercula dentated, or set with some sort of spines, 

 — and lastly, according to the system of classifica- 

 tion we are pursuing, should be grouped with the 

 Perseques. 



Striped Basse, Rock-Basse, — Perca La- 

 brax. [Lin. Sciaena Bloch.] On the sides are 

 parallel lines, like narrow ribbons, eight in number, 

 which give it the name of striped basse ; the scales 

 are large, of a metallic lustre ; in the operculum 

 the middle plate is serrated ; the last portion of 

 the third plate, the gill cover, constituted of three 

 pieces, has two nearly concealed spines. 



