A Method of Fish Study For Beginners 



G. C. Embody 

 Professor in Charge of Fish Culture at Cornell University 



During the past summer it was learned that only a very few 

 members of a certain class for teachers of nature-study had ever 

 studied fishes. Two principal reasons were implied in the answers 

 to the question as to why this was so. First, specimens were 

 difficult to obtain and exhibit at the desired time, and second, the 

 names of even the common fishes were unknown and the keys were 

 too technical to be useful for beginners. 



With reference to the first, it may be said that almost any 

 permanent stream or pond will yield a sufficient number of fishes 

 to start with. One need only to go after them with a hand net and 

 pail or in the absence of such an inclination, that boy, who is always 

 awaiting an excuse to go afishing, may be put to good use. Four or 

 five common fishes such as the horned dace, sucker, bullhead and 

 sunfish will serve to acquaint one with the different characters 

 upon which identification is based and when these are briefly 

 described in notebook there will be acquired a fair foundation for 

 continuing the work with the aid of keys. 



In the nature-study work with which the writer has been 

 identified, fishes have come in for their share of attention with 

 other animals. It has been customary to use in the beginning just 

 the forms mentioned above, for they are quite generally distributed 

 throughout the northern states from the Mississippi River eastward 

 and they are easily identified after study by means of pictures to be 

 found in several good books on fishes. When classes were small 

 they were taken to the brook or pond and the various members 

 assisted in the capture of specimens which were studied immediately 

 in glass jars of water. In the case of large classes, it was necessary 

 to obtain specimens beforehand and to exhibit them in battery jar 

 or rectangular aquaria. Ten different kinds of fishes distributed 

 in as many aquaria gave ample opportunity for forty students 

 working at one time and by duplicating certain aquaria, a much 

 larger number was accommodated. 



The plan of study consisted of three parts as follows : 

 i. Pointing out the recognition characters in the horned dace 

 and comparing with them those exemplified in the sucker, bullhead 



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