PREFACE 



THIS volume upon American Food and Game Fishes is one of 

 a series of books treating of the natural history of North America 

 in its varied and more popular aspects. Its scope includes all the 

 species of fishes north of Panama which are used by man as food 

 or which are sought by anglers for the sport which their capture 

 affords. 



In its preparation the authors have made free use of their 

 various published writings upon fishes, especially their " Fishes 

 of North and Middle America." They have also made equally free 

 use of the vast store of valuable information contained in the 

 numerous Reports and Bulletins of the United States Fish Com- 

 mission, and the "Fisheries and Fishery Industries of the United 

 States " by the late Dr. George Brown Goode and associates. The 

 reports of the Fish Commissions of the different States and Canada, 

 as well as the files of the many valuable outing magazines have 

 been consulted. 



To the many individuals who have assisted us in one way or 

 another we wish to express our thanks and appreciation. First of 

 all we are indebted to the Hon. Geo. M. Bowers, U. S. Commis- 

 sioner of Fish and Fisheries, and to Dr. H. M. Smith, Mr. W. de C. 

 Ravenel, Dr. W. C. Kendall, Mr. E. L. Goldsborough, and Mr. 

 C. H. Townsend, of the Fish Commission, for many courtesies 

 extended and assistance given. The excellent coloured plates in 

 this volume are from the splendid paintings by C. B. Hudson and 

 A. H. Baldwin, and we are able to use them through the kind 

 permission of Mr. Bowers. 



To Dr. Richard Rathbun, Assistant Secretary of the Smithsonian 

 Institution, we are indebted for the privilege of using as text figures 

 many of the illustrations from Bulletin 47, U. S. National Museum. 



The numerous excellent and artistically beautiful photographs 

 of live fishes were all taken by Mr. A. Radclyffe Dugmore, who 

 has, with infinite patience and skill, achieved such marvellous results 

 in photographing wild animals. These photographs were taken by 

 Mr. Dugmore expressly for this work at Key West, Lake Maxin- 



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