76 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



ones are now caught, and none but large fish have the green roes. I 

 never saw a green roed rock less than 2£ feet long; some are much larger. 



A good many small fish, 2 or 3 inches long, are seen in the summer 

 and in the winter ; sometimes thousands are caught at a haul from 10 

 to 20 inches long. I recollect a haul made about 40 years ago, when 800 

 of these fish, over 3 feet long, were taken, and I think tbe largest 

 weighed over 70 pounds. Rockfish could be bought then for less than 

 a cent a pound. ]$ow they are worth 8 cents at the seine. 



Harmony Village, Va., January 30, 18S2. 



ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS RELATIVE TO CATFISH. 



By CHARLES E. HIESTER. 



A. — Name. 



1. What is the name by which this fish is known in your neighbor- 

 hood?— A. The catfish. 



B. — Distribution. 



2. Is it found throughout the year, or only during a certain time; and 



for what time 1 ? — A. They are found in warm days in February, and all 



through the warm weather; when the water freezes they go into the 



mud. 



C. — Abundance. 



3. If resident, is it more abundant at certain times of the year; and 

 at what times? — A. They are most abundant about May 1. 



4. How abundant is it, compared with other fish? — A. At least fifty 

 times more abundant than any other. 



5. Has the abundance of the fish diminished or increased within the 

 last ten years? — A. Increased. 



G. If diminished or increased, what is the supposed cause? — A. Almost 



every egg hatches, and the young ones are not relished as food by other 



fishes on account of their stingers; bass and pike are about the only 



fish that can eat them. 



D. — Size. 



8.* What is the greatest size to which it attains (both length and 

 weight), and what the average? — A. Fourteen inches length; 1 to If 

 pound. Average, 10 or 11 inches; and average weight, three-fourths of 

 a pound. 



9. State the rate of growth per annum, if known ; and the size at one, 

 two, three or more years. — A. One year old, 3 inches; two years old, 

 5 to G inches; after that, cannot say. 



10. Do the sexes differ in respect to shape, size, rate of growth, &c? — 

 A. No difference except just before spawning. 



* ( Vi tain questions in the list were not answered and their omission accounts for the 

 numbers not, being consecutive. For lull list of questions see Report of the Commis- 

 siouer, part I. page 3. 



