FISHES 



the bays and rivers in the vicinity of Toronto. It is 

 one of the most voracious of our fishes, feeding upon 

 all forms of small fry and insects, and where abun- 

 dant is very destructive to the more valuable forms 

 of fish life. Its flesh is said to be soft, nauseous and 

 quite uneatable. In May and June the Dogfish 

 resort to weedy bays and marshes, where they spawn, 

 the parent fish remaining with the eggs until they are 

 hatched, and afterwards protecting the young for 

 some time. The female is larger than the male, 

 sometimes reaching a length of twenty-four inches, 

 while the male rarely exceeds eighteen. 



TELEOSTEI. (The Bony Fishes.) 



ORDER NEMATOGNATHI. (Catfishes.) 



SILTTKIDAE. (Catfishes.) 



4. Common Catfish. Bullhead. Ameiurus nebu- 

 losus (Lesueur). This species reaches a maximum 

 length of about eighteen inches and a weight of four 

 pounds ; the average of those taken in our waters is, 

 however, much less. It is the common Catfish of 

 the Province, occurring abundantly in all quiet 

 streams, ponds and bays, especially in those having 

 a mud bottom. Early in June, when about to spawn, 

 the Catfishes select a spot in quiet, shallow water 

 near aquatic weeds, and there they make a nest, from 

 eight inches to one foot in diameter, by clearing out 

 a slight depression in the mud or sand. In this 



f about two thousand eggs are deposited, over 

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