Conservation Commission. 271 



the hands of the employees. Another extremely important food 

 for the little bass is the river herring, the fry of which are reared 

 during the shad season. These fry do not last very long, but they 

 are very much appreciated by the bass in their early stages of 

 growth. 



Silver Bass. 



This fish is more generally known as white bass. It is a near 

 relative of the striped bass of our sea coasts. It may readily be 

 distinguished by its lengthwise blackish streaks on the sides. 

 These streaks are eight or more in number. The body is deeper 

 than in the striped bass, and more compressed. The general color 

 is silvery, tinged with gold on the sides. 



The white bass abounds in the Great Lakes region. In Oneida 

 lake the Conservation Commission collected more than 700 of the 

 fish while gathering black bass for its breeding ponds at Con- 

 stantia. The fish has been introduced into many lakes in which 

 it was not native. The species prefers the deeper parts of rivers 

 and is also well adapted for lakes and ponds. It is said to be a 

 good fish for artificial pond culture. The spawning season is in 

 April and May. It spawns near the shores or in the river mouths. 



This bass swims in schools while feeding or migrating, and thus 

 becomes a ready prey to the angler. It is caught with the arti- 

 ficial fly or with a minnow, and it will bite freely in the night. 

 One hundred white bass have frequently been caught in a few 

 hours. This bass feeds naturally upon minnows, crayfish and 

 other freshwater Crustacea, small mollusks and the young of 

 fishes. A white bass one foot long will weigh about one pound. 

 In the Ouachita river, Arkansas, it is said to reach the weight of 

 five pounds. This is one of the best of the food and game fishes, 

 and the Commission hopes to propagate it in large numbers when 

 the proper pond facilities are available. 



Sea Bass. 

 Foreman Charles H. Walters had great difficulty in confining 

 the newly hatched fry. He found that they would go through 

 wire cloths with thirty-two wires per inch. The eggs are so light 

 that they slop over the top of the floating boxes when the sea runs 

 high. 



