THE CATFISH OR BULL-HEAD. 377 



I am indebted to President Jordan of Indiana University, for the 

 following remarks upon this group : 



"The Catfishes abound in all the fresh waters of the United States east 

 of the Rocky Mountains. The species of the three genera, Ictalurus, 

 Amiiiriis, and Lcpfops, which constitute the bulk of the family as repre- 

 sented in North America, all reach a length of from one to five feet, and 

 are all food-fishes of more or less importance. One of the Catfishes, 

 Ictaliirus pondcrosits, is our largest fresh-water fish, weighing upwards of 

 one hundred and fifty pounds, and two of the others, Leptops olivaris and 

 Ictahiriis nigricans, reach a very considerable size. 



"The Catfishes are voracious and indiscriminate feeders, any kind of 

 animal substance, living or dead, being greedily swallowed by them. 

 They are also (especially the species of Aniiiinis) extremely tenacious of 

 life, living for a long time out of water, and being able to resist impurities 

 in the water better than any other of our food-fishes. They spawn in 

 spring, and the female fish keeps a watch over the school of young, much 

 as a hen takes care of chickens. The Catfishes are especially adapted for 

 stocking ponds and sluggish streams with muddy bottoms, which become 

 partly dry in summer, bodies of water not suited for the more aris'tocratic 

 trout and bass. 



" The species of the genus Ictalurus — known as " Channel Cats " are 

 much less hardy than the other Catfishes, and do not thrive well except in 

 river channels. Any water which does not dry up absolutely to the 

 bottom in summer will suffice to nurture the common small Catfishes. 



" The flesh of all the Catfishes is of fair quality, not delicate nor tender, 

 but of good flavor. The Channel Cats have whiter meat than the ordinary 

 small Catfish, but the flesh is drier, and the latter are usually preferred." 



The Channel Cat or Blue Cat, Ictalurus punctatus, abounds in all the 

 larger Western and Southern streams, living in the river channels. It 

 reaches a weight of five to ten pounds and is readily salable, but its flesh 

 is not better than that of its less attractive relatives. It takes the hook 

 readily. This species is abundant in the St. John's River, Florida. In 

 1878 many were taken near the bar at Mayport in brackish water. For 

 table use they are much more highly esteemed than the Mud Catfish. 



The Great Mississippi Cat, Ictalurus ponderosus, the largest of our Cat- 

 fish, is found in the Mississippi, and probably in its larger tributaries, 

 where it reaches a weight of about one hundred and fifty pounds. Little 

 distinctive is known of its habits, which probably agree with those of the 

 next species. 



The Great Lake Catfish, Ictalurus nigricans, the most abundant of the 

 large Catfishes, abounds m the Great Lakes and in the larger streams of 



