Excerpt from Artificial Propagation of the Black Basses, Crappies, and Rock Bass The principal physical characters of these fishes are indicated in the following key, which serves to distinguish the two species Of black bass and the two species of crappie from each other as well as from less closely related species. Large-mouth black bass: Body comparatively long, the depth about one-third the length; back little elevated; head large, 3 to 3a in body; eye 5 to 6 in head; mouth very large, the maxillary in adults extending beyond eye, smaller in young. Ten rows of scales on the cheeks; body scales large, about 68 in the lateral line, and 7 above and 16 below the line. Dorsal fin low, deeply notched, larger than anal, with 10 spines and 12 or 13 soft rays; anal with 3 spines and 10 or 11 rays. Color above dark-green, sides greenish-silvery, belly white; young with a blackish band along sides from opercle to tail, the band breaking up and growing paler with age; caudal fin pale at base, white on edge and black between; Older specimens almost uniformly dull greenish; three dark Oblique stripes across opercle and cheek; dark blotch on opercle. Small-mouth black bass Similar in form to largemouth bass. Mouth smaller, the maxillary terminating in front of posterior edge of eye, except in very Old specimens. About 17 rows of small scales on the cheeks; body scales small, 11 - 74 - 17. Dorsal fin less deeply notched than in other species, with 10 spines and 13 to 15 rays; anal with 3 spines and 12 or 13 rays. General color dull golden-green, belly white; young with dark spots along sides tending to form irregular vertical bars, but never a lateral bane: caudal fin yellowish at base, white at tip, with dark intervening area; dorsal with bronze spots and dusky edge; three radiating bronze stripes extending backward from eye; dusky spot on point Of opercle. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.