﻿Black and Oswego Bass. 



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Large Mouth Bass has much larger scales than the other species, and the 

 dorsal fin has the spinous rays lower and with a deeper notch than in the 

 Small Mouthed species. Color is of no value whatever as a character, as 

 the surroundings seem to determine this in a great measure, and both 

 forms occur of all shades from black to white, but principally of different 

 shades of green and olive. 



The "Black Bass," in different sections of the country, has the follow- 

 ing popular names : 



Bass, Black Bass, Green Bass, Yellow Bass, River Bass, Bayou Bass, 

 Slough Bass, Lake Bass, Moss Bass, Grass Bass, Marsh Bass, Oswego 

 Bass, Perch, Black Perch, Yellow Perch, Trout Perch, Jumping Perch, 

 Welshman, Trout, Black Trout, White Trout, Roanoke Chub, etc. The 

 "Large Mouth Bass" seems to me grows larger than the "Small 

 Mouthed" species. I have caught a Large Mouthed Bass in St. Mary's 

 Reservoir, that weighed 7 lbs. and 14 oz. 



I saw the head of one at Enterprise, Florida, that weighed 14 lbs. The 

 largest specimen of the Small Mouthed form I ever saw, is the one ex- 

 hibited, which was caught by a member of the Cuvier Club, and it weighed 

 about 6 lbs., I think a trifle less. I have heard of specimens that weighed 

 over 7 lbs., but never saw one. A fish nearly always weighs more on the 

 scales of the person who catches it, than elsewhere. The greatest size at- 

 tained by the Small Mouthed species has been a matter of much contro- 

 versy. A very amusing incident occurred some time ago, when some wag 

 sent a communication to a Pennsylvania paper, in which it was stated 

 that the" Cuvier Club," of Cincinnati, Ohio, would give $100 in gold, 

 reward for a "Black Bass" that weighed as much as 7 lbs. This was 

 copied by papers all over the United States, and many disciples of Izaak 

 Walton sailed in to capture a seven-pound Bass and the $100 reward. I 

 was acting Corresponding Secretary of the Club at the time, and was tor- 

 mented nearly to death answering communications. Some were of 

 inquiry, and some claimed the reward and had numerous affidavits, duly 

 sworn to before Magistrates, to substantiate their claims. One was a poor 

 man and this $100 would do him a heap of good. Two others gave 

 minute directions how to remit the money, on the strength of their sworn 

 statement of a fish they once caught that would weigh over 7 lbs. I let 

 them all down as easily as possible in my replies. I got partly paid for 

 my trouble in eating the fine fish sent as proof positive to secure them this 

 reward. The specimen stuffed is one of these. It was caught by Win. 

 Dormire and Chas Burrock. This is the letter that came with the tish. 



