THE STRIPED BASSE. 
161 
clement season of winter, but the fishery is not so productive 
as in Maine, whence the best in the Boston market are annu 
ally brought.” 
The following is from the Transactions of the Literary 
and Philosophical Society, by Dr. Mitehill. 
“ Mitehill' s Perch , Striped Danse or Rock-Fish, (Perea 
Mitchilli), with eight parallel lines from head to tail. One of 
the largest and most excellent of the New York fishes: may 
be found from the weight of an ounce to that of seventy 
pounds and upwards. The position of the ventral fins rather 
behind the pectoral, made me once incline to place him in 
the abdominalcs. Ilis second gill plate is finely serrated. 
That circumstance, if lie remained among the thoracic, would 
rank him among the perca?, and when I decided in favor of 
changing his order, I was obliged to constitute a new genus for 
him, which I called roccus. But having since found that there 
are fishes whose ventral fins are further back on the abdo- 
men than this, that are nevertheless considered as thoracic, 
I have, on reconsideration, persuaded myself it will be most 
correct toplacohim among his compeers of the perch family. ’’ 
After a similar description to that given by Smith, our 
naturalist continues: “ But one of the most obvious and 
distinguishing features of this fish, is the striped appearance 
of his body. From head to tail his back is marked by lon- 
gitudinal lines. The ground color is pale, brown, whitish 
and silvery. On this are delineated the aforesaid lines in 
parallel rows. These rows, at some seasons, appear black, 
and make a strong contrast. At other times they are more 
faint, and seem to be faded into a reddish brown. When the 
brown thus predominates, dark specks or spots can be traced 
at regular distances along the stripes, particularly toward tho 
back. 
“ Tho number of these stripes is usually eight; and four 
of them most commonly reach tho tail. The rest are fre- 
