The Fishes of our Boyhood 107 



with a small landing net made of mosquito bar, the 

 gars being interesting for aquariums. 



The third of the freak fish was prized for his 

 decided method of taking bait and his stubborn 

 resistance when hooked. He never was eaten, 

 everybody agreeing that he surely was "pizen." 

 This fish, the bowfin (Amia calva\ was termed 

 " dogfish," and he was an ugly-looking fellow, with 

 a greenish yellow body, a big, toothy mouth, and 

 a most evil eye. He would bite a finger for nothing, 

 so nervous boys cut him loose and sacrificed a hook, 

 also their prestige. Other boys beat A. calva to 

 death with sizable clubs, regained the hook, and 

 added to their fame. 



Early in the spring the short spears killed many 

 mullet. These red-finned, olive-backed, foolish- 

 looking fish were held in fair esteem for the table ; 

 that is, about three good ones might purchase ex- 

 emption from a whaling. When the water was at 

 the muddy stage, the red fins were about all one 

 could distinguish as the fish rolled in the eddies. 

 Then one had to be quick and accurate with the 

 spear, also able to tell by the fin exactly where to 

 strike. With the mullet came the pallid-looking 

 suckers bony, worthless affairs, deemed unfit to 

 carry home. Certain people, in whom much of the 

 Old Adam still lingered, placed these suckers at 

 the roots of cabbage plants, but the offer of one 

 to some typical lad, or an invitation to dine off it, 

 usually meant a tossing aside of hats and the 

 inevitable ! 



After clouded waters had run clear and regained 

 their normal level came the season of seasons. 



