COMMERCIAL FISHING. 233 



arisen of which the principal ones are the "scale carp", heavily 

 scaled; the "mirror carp", with a few series of very large 

 scales; and the "leather carp", which is scaleless. The size 

 of the carp varies with the temperature and clearness of the 

 water, the kind of bottom, the abundance and nature of the 

 food supply, and in general with the conditions under which 

 it lives. These fish live to a great age, and sometimes attain 

 a weight of more than 40 pounds. The carp naturally thrives 

 best in lakes, ponds and sluggish streams, seeking quiet or 

 stagnant waters. It spawns about June. It feed largely on 

 vegetable matter, insects and their larvae, found on aquatic 

 vegetation, forming its principal animal food. It will, how- 

 ever, eat practically anything it can get into its mouth, 

 rooting about in the mud much in the way of a pig. 



The German carp product in 1908 amounted to 42,763,000 

 pounds, valued at $1,135,000. Of 38 states having fisheries of 

 a commercial nature, 31 reported German carp. The catch of 

 Illinois, most of which was from the Illinois River, exceeded 

 that of all other states combined. Although carp is caught 

 to some extent throughout the year, the largest part of the 

 fishing is done in spring and summer. A variety of appara- 

 tus is used in taking carp, but the bulk of the catch is made 

 with seines, fyke and hoop nets, and trammel nets. 



CATFISH The American species include the sea cat- 

 fishes of the Atlantic coast, the channel cats of all the rivers 

 east of the Rocky Mountains, the horned pout, which is 

 widely distributed through the brooks and ponds of the states, 

 and the diminutive mad-toms. The different varieties are 

 distinguished by the common names of "channel cat", "blue 

 cat", "Mississippi cat", "mud cat", "flannel mouth", "horned 

 pout", "bullhead", "minister", "goujon", "bashaw", "gaff- 

 topsail", etc. They vary in length from 1 to 5 feet and in 

 weight from 2 to 150 pounds, are caught by means of nets, 

 traps, hand lines, and by jugging, and are used extensively 

 for food. Catfish are taken in nearly all waters of the 



