The Common Bullhead ; Horned Pout 



many streams. It has been introduced into many rivers of the 

 West, particularly the Sacramento, San Joaquin, Gila, Humboldt, 

 and certain small lakes of southern Oregon, in all of which it 

 readily established itself and is now exceedingly abundant. The 

 species is quite variable. 



While this species does not usually much exceed a foot or 15 

 inches in length, and one or two pounds in weight, examples are 

 sometimes taken several inches longer, and weighing 4 to 6, or 

 even 7 pounds. 



"The horned pout," says Thoreau, "are dull and blundering 

 fellows, fond of the mud and growing best in weedy ponds and 

 rivers without current. They stay near the bottom, moving slowly 

 about with their barbels widely spread, watching for anything eat- 

 able. They will take any kind of bait, from an angleworm to a 

 piece of tomato can, without hesitation or coquetry, and they 

 seldom fail to swallow the hook. They are very tenacious of life, 

 opening and shutting their mouths for half an hour after their heads 

 have been taken off. They spawn in spring and the old fishes 

 lead the young in great schools near the shore, caring for them as 

 a hen cares for her chickens. A bloodthirsty and bullying set of 

 rangers with ever a lance at rest and ready to do battle with their 

 nearest neighbour." 



The following description of the habits of the common bull- 

 head, written as a burlesque by George W. Peck, gives a vivid 

 and truthful idea of the life history and game qualities of this fish : 



"It seems that the action of the Milwaukee common council 

 in withdrawing the use of the water works from the fish commis- 

 sioners will put a stop to the hatching of whitefish. This is as it 

 should be. The whitefish is an aristocratic fish that will not bite 

 a hook, and the propagation of this species is wholly in the in- 

 terest of the wealthy owners of fishing tubs, who have nets. By 

 strict attention to business they can catch all of the whitefish out 

 of the lake a little faster than the State machine can put them in. 

 Poor people cannot get a smell of whitefish. The same may be 

 said of brook trout. While they will bit e a hook, it requires more 

 machinery to catch them than ordinary people can possess with- 

 dut mortgaging a house. A man has got to have a morocco book 

 of expensive flies, a fifteen-dollar bamboo jointed rod, a three- 

 dollar trout basket, with a hole mortised in the top, a corduroy 

 suit made in the latest style, top boots of the Wellington pattern, 



37 



