WINTER STUDY OF FISHES.* 



The following letter suggests a topic for study this month : 



Tyre, N. Y. 

 Dear Uncle John : 



I will try and tell you about some fishes we have here. We have 



bullheads, suckers, bass and pike and pickerel. We have caught a 



Bmall fish and have it in our schoolroom to look at him and see him 



swimminof around in the can which we have here. The can is a 



glass can and holds about a quart of water. Can you tell me how 



to keep minnows ? 



FLOYD CUDDEBACK. 



It seems to me that it would be a good thing for all boys and girls 

 to kiiow as many fishes as Floyd knows ; not only to become 

 acquainted with them, but to be able to tell Uncle John how they 

 know one from another. Let us study fishes this month and see 

 what success we shall have in our work. All that you will need for 

 your aquarium is a glass jar with some well-washed sand in the bot- 

 tom of it. This may not be the best season of the year to go fish- 

 ina\ but some of the older Junior Naturalists will be able to s^et 



C7 CI) 



enough for you to study. Fish can be caught through holes in the 

 ice. You can keep minnows and other small fishes alive for a long 

 time by feeding them crackers or bits of bread. If you happen to 

 have a bullhead in the jar, he will consider a small piece of meat 

 worth eating. 



This morning I had a good time watching fishes in an aquarium. 

 The first one that I noticed looks something like a tadpole, with 

 barbies on his head that make one think of pussy's whiskers, so the 

 fishermen call him " tadpole-cat." He seemed to enjoy careering 

 around a most dignified old sunfish, but the sunfish took no notice of 

 him whatever. Scientists call this dignified fish Euj}07notis gihr 

 hosus (pronounced Eujyomo-tis gihho-siis), but you may call him by 

 the common name, " pumpkin-seed," if you wish. I am sure that 

 he does not think there is much in a name. 



* Our Leaflet No. 11 describes the aquarium. 



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