■MK>.K-"S.\ 1 1\ K roOl) TISTIKS OT 1<)W\. Tj!!* 



vnln \ Im some tlio (\vsh is \nnn\ toiijrh JHkI rank llavorcd, 

 M-Iiil(> ill others It is dry, tasteless tnul fiiU of very small hones, 

 Amoii',' such ar(> the .•^hovel-nosed sturireon, tlie <k)ir Hsli, the 

 ■garpilvcs, the kiekory shad, tke skip jack and othej-s never 

 uisod more lliaii oneo f^)r food l>v the same person. 



The reiHiiiniii;^ species are aHl smaU, and whih' dh-c<!l\ are 

 •of no value, yet indirectly are of much importanee. These, 

 •-small fislies, touethnr with the yoiuv,' of all si?eeies, furnish 

 Miiieh of the food for the larije predatory fishes. 



In the present paper is oiven a systematie list of onr native 

 food fi-(h'.>s to^'^^ther with a few notes as to their dislrihiition 

 in our waters, their habits and their value as ijood fish's. 



DL'tailed dcsi'riptioiis of all the fishes ei\un<erated iu this 

 paper ean h-^ founrl { 1 ) in Jordan and (filbert's ^^ Synopsis 

 of the Fishes of North Ainerira," published by the l)e[)art- 

 inent of the Interior, {i) '' Jordan's Manual of Verte- 

 brates of Eastern United States,*" published Ivy A. C. xMe- 

 Clursr & Co. Descriptions and fiLnires of most of them are 

 found in " History of A(]iiatie Animals," ])ul)lished bv the 

 I'ensus Bureau. 



Family i— POLYODONTlD^. 



2. PolvoJon spathuld Walhauin. Paddle Fish. 



This species is known by the prolouijatlon of the b)ii<2|-, tlat 

 >)lade which overhauirs th^' broad terminal snout : it iiiiiabits 

 only the larir^M- strc^ams of the Mississippi l)asin. In this 

 State specimens are oceassionally taken from t!ie ( 'edar River, 

 the Iowa River, the Missouri River and from the Mississippi 

 River. It no doubt inhal)its all of the larirei streams of the 

 State. Fishermen on the Mississippi River find it more com- 

 mon in the fall and tlien in bayous. It liv(\s chiefly on small 

 forms of animal life which it stiis uj) from the mud with it.'* 

 Ions: snout. This remarkable fisli attains a lenu-th of six feet 

 and is but little esteemed for food. 



