20 SUN-FISH AND PICKKREL. 



The Sun-fish. 



Tins is a small yellow and brown fish, with colors 

 similar to the yellow perch, but without the shades 

 fins tinged with scarlet. Its shape is broad and flat 

 like a pumpkin seed, and in some places the fish is 

 known by that name. They are usually from three 

 to eight inches long though in some streams in 

 the Western States a kind are found which exceed 

 a foot in length. They are caught with the angle- 

 worm, in the same manner as the perch. They bite 

 very rapidly, and hence ladies on pic-nic parties are 

 particularly fond of fishing sun-fish. 



Pickerel and Pike. 



Pickerel are found in almost all the fresh waters 

 of the United States. They are a sort of miniature 

 fresh water shark, preying upon every living thing 

 that they can master. This fish is very similar 'to 

 the pickerel of Europe and other parts of the earth. 

 It swims alone is never seen in shoals and its ap- 

 pearance in any particular locality is a signal for the 

 sudden dispersion of the small fry. Pickerel have 

 certain haunts, and though they usually move inde- 

 pendent of each other, yet expert anglers will catch 

 a considerable number. But to catch " a string of 

 pickerel" is a good day's work. They grow very 

 fast ,when they have an abundance of food, often 

 reaching a foot in length the first year, and will 

 double their size in two years more. They have 

 been known as heavy as forty pounds and upward^ 



