]22 THE .lMi:i{I(\l.\ Mrsi:CM JOIHXAI. 



tonus. Ill ("arlicr u'coloyic times UMiioids were llic (loiniiKiiit race of fisli, 

 at one pcfiod of t licif ex (ilut ioii cncii out iiiiiiihcrinu all 1 lie other kinds of 

 tish put toii'ctlier. I^ut tliey have since then fallen upon e\ il times, and 

 are now redueecl to only a few genera, which pla\ hut an insi<;nificaiit 

 role in tii<^ fish-life of to-day. 



The ])addiefisli reaches its largest size and is found in greatest abundance 

 in the smallei- lakes connected with the lower Mississip])i ; and it was at 

 one of these lakes — Moon Lake, in (Oahoma ('ounty, Mississipjji — that 

 material was sought. Here Mr. I. Iv McCichee <-arries on an extensive 

 sj)oonl)ill fisliery, and tlu-ough his courtesy, adniirahle collecting facilities, 

 including the use of his fishing |)ai'apliernalia, were ohtained. The Museum 

 party consisted of Mr. Dwight Franklin of the Department of Preparation 

 of the ]\IuseiMn, and the writer; the expenses of the work were defrayed 

 hy the 1 )o(lge Fund. 



Until about a decade ago the spoonbill was of little economic value; it 

 was interesting merely as a zix'ilogieal ctuMosity. .Vbout that time however, 

 the fact was discovered that when smoked it makes a tolei-able substitute 

 for smoked stiu'geon and that its roe makes excellent ca\iar. Since then 

 spoonbill fisli(>ries have sprung up at various jjoints on the Mississipj)! and 

 ( )hio ri\ers. 



The fish is usually taken in a seine. .\ ])ractical method of oj)erating 

 a large s(Mne has been introduced by Mr. Mc(iehee at Moon Lake and is 

 worth noting. The seine is woinid on a huge si)ool-shaped I'cel which is 

 motuited in a flat.-b<)ttom<'d boat. It is laid by unrolling this reel; and it 

 is wound up by having the crew walk up the sjiokes of the wheels as on a 

 ladder, so that the reel is made to rexoKc. .\s the seine is gradually 

 wound up and the fish are confined to narrower and narrower space, they 

 dart wildly about seeking means of esca])e. One may then study the 

 paddlefish at close range. It is an exceedingly chunsy creature, hardly 

 making an effort to escape capttu'e. Its s(>nse of sight is poorly developed, 

 as indeed one might infer from its small bea<ly black eyes. If its "nose" 

 is caught in the seine it makes only feeble etVorts to free itself, and usuall\ 

 fails in doing so. The contrast between the clumsiness of the spoonbill 

 and the alertness of an active fish, is strikingly brought out if any gar])ike 

 are in the haul; for the gar makes tremendous etforts to esea])e and unless 

 rendered unconscious by a blow with a mallet, will flash through the seine 

 as if it were gauze. Leaning over the side of the t)oat, near the cork-line 

 of the seine, one may seize a fixc-foot paddleiish by the " nose" or the 

 tail and haul it into the boat; the only resistance is that of W(Mght. The 

 fish has absolutely no sport \alue. The niunl)er of s])()on])ill taken in a 

 single haul \arics; sometimes only a few are brought up, and sometimes 



