FOREST, LAKE, AND RIVER 



with strong spines or teeth, enabling a sure grasp 

 of its victim. It is possible for the animal to 

 adhere quite tightly to an object by suction, 

 through the peculiar formation of its mouth. 

 Having secured itself, it rasps away with the saw- 

 like teeth on its tongue and by the action of 

 numerous other teeth, until it has worn through 

 the thick skin or scales of its prey. It remains 

 attached to the fish, sucking blood when it is 

 hungry, until the hole is made so deep that the 

 abdominal wall is perforated and the body cavity 

 penetrated. The injured fish may not always die, 

 but in every case is made weak, and loses strength 

 and flesh. The bullhead or catfish, suckers, carp, 

 lake herring, pickerel, sturgeon, whitefish, pike, 

 bass, mascalonge, perch, lake trout, wall-eyed pike, 

 redhorse, eels, drum, white bass, and other fish, all 

 suffer severely. One attack on small fish proves 

 fatal. In large t fish, they may survive the first 

 attack, and fall a victim to a second or third. 



There are five species of killifish or mummi- 

 chugs indigenous or visitors to the salt waters of 

 New England and Eastern Canada, some of which 

 ascend to tide-water or beyond. The first is the 

 Mayfish or rockfish, which is somewhat abundant, 

 at times, in the shallow bays, and sometimes ascends 

 fresh streams slightly above tide-water. The 

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