The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-11

experts than by the fact OF their UNDER
taking the conquest Of the stubborn
cat" Mr.. Meehan notes that "the
spotted cat has few equals among fish
for delicacy Of flavor" and ats success
full introduction into waters which do
not now contain 1t would mean very
much for the public"
The bullhead and yellow catfish are
more adaptable but fatality Of nearly
80 per cent. attends their spawning
period in breeding ponds. Apparently
due to the absence Of scales they are
susceptible to fungus.
The catfish Is well known IN city
markets inland and brings good prices.
Pennsylvania has for some time been
propagating white and yellow catfish
on q large scale. In 1908 one Pennsyl-
vanian raised in "a pond 100 feet square
nearly 100000 catfish from an original
stock Of about 800 brood fish. Mr.. Nee
han urges farm folk to take up their
propagation, II not for market, at least
for the supply Of the home table.
The catfish lays its eggs In a tunnel
or cave which 1t excavates for that pur-
pose in the bank Of the pond or q sharp
depression Of the bottom, and here one
OF the parents stands guard with It's
horned head sticking out OF the hole
with surprisingly ferocious aspect The
little fishes are closely herded by the
old ones until ablc to take care of them
| selves. The adult fishes are easily cared
| for. "Thcy eat living minnows, dry
bread or chopped lungs with equal gusto
| and In taking any floating food make n
| sucking noise nearly as loud and re-
marlsably similar to that made by III
bred men when eating soup or drinking
| coffee" They are ready for market
| when three years old, sometimes sooner.
They have great endurance and can be
| shipped to market for customers who
| make that requirement The catfish
will be seen TO be much more re-
spectacle piscine personality than COM
mon reputation gives him credit for
being.
II the catfish is popularity underesti-
mated as useful citizen the carp Is
slandcred. Undoubtedly the most exc
| Grated and unjustly accused fish swim
ming in American waters" 1t was over
| enthusiasm on the part OF It's first
| friends and sponsors in this country
| that prevented carp farming from de-
velopins into largely prosecuted and
valuable industry. On tho strength OF
It's reputation In Europe the carp was
eagerly taken up here. Farmers who
had duck ponds built perhaps three
| quarters OF !, century before and never
| cleaned. stocked them with carp. Others
| built for their reception dams across
| streams on their bog lands without talk
Ing the trouble 10 clear away the mud.
! Almost any muck hole containing n few
hundred gallons of water was consid-
| cred Ill to he utilized. Killing time
came: the fish We're. naturally enough.
: found inediblc and the farmers sent the
carp with blackened characters" into
1 the public waters. The carp Is NJ more
a filth loving beast than Is the pig.
! Mr.. Meehan admits the carp's IN
| ferior!ty 10 native American fishes. but
believes that II when the fish immi-
grated our knowledge OF fish culture
had been as far along as IL IS to-day a
large ana profitable industry would
have been established, and he processes
to see Il rcvulsion Of sentiment in favor
Of this hated ravager OF inland waters
In Illinois II is declared To be worth
several hundred thousand dollars a
| year: 10000 pounds "a week IL said 10
be sold In Philadelphia and New York
disposes Of 100000 pounds "A year
But the fish so marketed come from
the open lakes and rivera. not from
ponds and pens.
The chapters on frog raising, con-
struction and care Of aquariuins; habits
diseases and keep Of gold fish are curl.
Gus and full Of information. Genuine
sportsmen may shudder at the CONNER
cial exploitation ~ the game fishes and
their incidental Typographical consocia
tion with the "cat" and the sucker, but
the book has the charm that attends
simple. straightforward exposition OF
any subject OF which the writer has ex.
pert knowledge, and the special charm
that iish tulk always carries.