The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-05-17
The Black Bass, the King Of American Fishes
BY Charlie. econdxe

nv Charles Minor blackboard. and.
NJ. H.. FcIInw OF Tho American III
sheries Society.
virginia fishermen have every rea-
son to rejoics with the coming OF sum
! mer. for IL brings promise OF rare
SNORT along the banks of our rivers
| and streams. IL Is true that We 40
not have the "Lordly sadmon," put
we have the royal BASES, the princeiy
brook trout, and many other fsnes
that inhabit our fresh and salt waters
in ar Abundance that makes every
follower Of isaac Walton happy VI
these the BASES are unquestionapiy
the leaders. and the black bass Is the
veritable king OF the game fishes OF
America. In the early days OF the
colony 1t was known as the rocknsn'
and in a letter from John Banister
to Captain Morrison. dated The Falls
1.-THE present cite of Richmond). April
6, 1879, the writer says; Our rivers
abound with very good fisn' stnrgeon ;
shads, herrings, rocks. an exceiient
fish cats, garrs, perches, etc. Tnese
we catch In the freshes: what KINDS
more the salts yield. am yet igno-
rant" From this letter 1t can be seen
that at even that early day the BASES
had attracted notice.
The name bass Is a survival OF
the old Saxon word "barse," meaning
srtipe. and was given the fish be-
cause of the dark stripes IN Its SIDES,
but in science the two species are
known as inicropterus The name
comes from two Greek words meaning
little fin" and ii is curious instance
of the mistakes that scientists may
make when working with insufficient
material. A specimen was sent in
1902 to the famous French naturalist
Lac2pede, probably from South Caro-
lima. TO be named. II so happened
that the specimen sent to him nao
been injured in some way. and piece
had been torn out of the back fin.
leaving a fragment detached from
the rest that looked like a separate
fin. IAcapede thought that it was
one and named the genus according
ly OF course, the name Is wrong
and Is misleading. but it has now
been embalmed in the literature or
science and change at this late day
would be confusing.
The genus comprises two spetl les
that are true BASES, q third fish. the
rock bass, being a member of a dii-
fereBt family and not a bass at al
The black BASES are the micropterue
dolomieu. or small-mouth bass, and
the rnicroptcrus salmoides or large
Tmouthed bass; the first species usual
ly inhabitating the northern waters.
and the second ranging further south
The distinction Is not well marked,
however, for the efforts OF fish Gu
turists have greatly extended the
range of both species: but in nature
the small-rlouthed black bass is found
from Lake Champlain and Manitoba.
southwark on both sides of the ApPa-
lach!an Mountains as far as Arkansas
and South Carolina. II loves swiftly
running water, especially IL clear and
cold. and its southern range Is limited
by the presence or absence OF stch
streams. The large-mouthed bass was
originally a western fish. ranging from
the Red River of the North and the
Great Lakes IN Florida, Texas and
Mexico II grows to a larger size
than does the other species, and is
equally at home in the warm tribu-
taries of the Gulf and the chilly
streams of the Great Slave Lake
though 1t habits and activity vary in
its various homes. 1t generally grows
to a greater size than does the other
species. and is not SO highly valued
as game fish but it's wider range
makes IL valuable as a food fish, and
its ability to live in region where
no other game fish is found adds to
its value. In some OF the Southern
States ii is called trout" became
of its gameness, and Its specific namn.
saimoides. meaning trontlike was
given it on this account.
North of the James River on both
sides of the mountains the two species
live together in comfort, If not in
peace and harmony. They are pug
nacious. voracious and courageous.
ever ready to repel an attack and
equally ready to become the aggrec-
sor They have Unsuitable appetites.
and nothing comes amiss that can
possibly be eaten. The mouth of .he
large species extends be-
yond the eye, and when opened 1t APP