CHAPTER VIII. 



CATFISH AND EBLS. 



Catfish, Siluridce. — Extract from Iconographic Encyclopaedia. 



Catfish of the Atlantic States and Western waters. 



Eels. — Observations on the Petromyzontidce (Lamprey Eels), on the 



Murcenidce (Common Eels), and on the GymnotidcB (Electric Eels). 

 The Common Eel. Anguilla vulgaris. — Fishing for Eels. — Migratory 



habits. — Young Eels as bait. — Eels not hermaphrodites. 



Catfish and Eels are so closely associated in the minds 

 of anglers, that I have thought it proper to include them in 

 the same chapter. In treating of them I give a brief but 

 comprehensive article from the Iconographic Encyclopaedia 

 on the Siluridae, as well as an account of the different fami- 

 lies of anguilliform fishes known as Eels, from the same 

 work. 



" SiLURiD^. — Fishes of this family have the skin either 

 naked, and covered with a slimy secretion, or provided with 

 osseous plates of various number and shape. The head is 

 usually depressed, and provided with a variable number of 

 barbels. In most, there is a second and adipose dorsal, some- 

 times confluent with the caudal. The first rays of the dorsal 

 and pectoral fins are generally enlarged into strong spines ; 

 and the pectoral spine is capable of being inflexibly fixed, by 

 peculiar mechanism, in a direction perpendicular to the axis 

 of the body. The edge of the mouth is formed by the inter- 

 12 (177) 



