Part III.] Pond Fish Culture. 119 



tiling and making a cavity or pocket under one side of it. 

 There was no other place on the bottom of the pool that looked 

 as though it had been used by a spawning fish. 



As near as we can figure out from examining other spawning 

 places, these fish choose a spot for spawning along the side of 

 some log, rock or bank where there is a certain amount of pro- 

 tection for the nest and its eggs. The place is thoroughly 

 cleaned, and a little excavation or pocket made under a root, 

 log, stone, or even in the side of a bank. In artificial ponds the 

 bullheads hollow out places under any board, stone, or even 

 under a piece of galvanized iron, that may be left on the bottom 

 of the pond. The eggs are placed on the hard ground, and are 

 heavy, sticky or adhesive, the same as those of fish of the sun- 

 fish kind, so that they remain where they are placed. We have 

 had Bullhead catfish spawn in very small bodies of water — 

 pools that were not more than from five to twenty feet across 

 and not more than from twelve to twenty inches in depth. 

 These small pools had soft mud bottoms. We know the exact 

 conditions under which they spawned, but the water was 

 always too roily for correct observations to be made. 



One such pond, when drained, showed a pocket about 

 eighteen inches long that had been cleaned out in the- bank 

 where the latter joined the bottom of the pond. In another 

 place the pocket had been placed under an old piece of sheet 

 iron. 



Many years ago, while a number of us boys were in swim- 

 ming below an old stone ford, I remember that we located some 

 Bullhead catfish between some large stones. We tried to catch 

 them in our hands, but they would get away. However, the 

 fish would soon return, and by trying several times we did 

 manage to catch one out of a pocket under a large stone. We 

 were told by an old fisherman, Clark Cunningham, that we 

 should not bother the fish, because they were "laying their 

 eggs" in the holes they had made under the rocks. The same 

 man afterwards showed me the nests or beds where sunfish 

 were spawning. This was our first lesson in fish culture. We 

 have found Bullhead catfish in hollow logs sunk in the water. 

 In fact, we once used a hollow log for a trap for catfish and 

 caught a number of specimens in it. This was during the early 

 summer, when the water was warm enough for boys to go 

 swimming. At that time we did not think of the possibility 

 of fish "laying eggs" in such places. 



Young or Baby Catfish. 



The little baby catfish, as we have ordinarily observed them, 

 usually appear near the shores of ponds or slow-flowing 

 streams in bunches or schools. When first observed they are 

 usually about one-half inch in length, and the schools or 



