INVESTIGATIONS IN MISSISSIPPI, LOUISIANA, AND TEXAS. 303 



gator gar, white gar, hickory shad, red perch, and white perch. The 

 goujon is said to reach a weight in this river of 50 to 75 pounds. The 

 blue cat reaches about the same size, and is more abundant. 



The Sabine River at Logansport is quite a large river, which, like all 

 other streams in that region, was considerably above its usual stage at 

 the time of our visit, and, like the other streams, was red with mud 

 which it was carrying. The temperature of the water was 70° at 10 a. 

 m. April 29, when the air was 65°. 



The more abundant fishes seen by us or reported by the fishermen 

 are yellow cat and blue cat, said to spawn in the summer, which is 

 probably an error; drum or gaspergou, reaching a weight of 20 pounds 

 and said to spawn in April and May; white buffalo, reaching a weight 

 of 35 pounds, and black buffalo, reaching about the same size, both 

 species spawning in March. The very large goujon are here called 

 "Opiloosa" (Opelousas), and are described as having a flat head and 

 reaching a great size. The head of one large example recently taken 

 weighed 20 pounds. 



The fishermen speak of the carp as the "Government fish," and say 

 that they are regarded as a good fish and find a ready sale. 



Fishing here is not of much commercial importance and is almost 

 wholly for local trade. It is carried on with hoop nets baited with 

 dough, etc. A hoop net lifted during our visit contained one small 

 gaspergou and two white buffalo, one of which weighed 11 pounds. 



No evidence of the existence of any species of the true shad (Alosa) 

 in either of these rivers could be secured. The commercial fishermen 

 know nothing about such fish. It must be borne in mind, however, 

 that the methods employed by the fisherman are not such as would 

 result in the capture of such fish as the shad. The apparatus used in 

 this region consists simply of set lines and a few hoop nets, which are, 

 of course, useless in a shad fishery. Shad may be common in these 

 rivers and entirely escape observation until they are fished for with 

 suitable apparatus and at the proper season. 



LAKES TASSE AND PEIGNEUR. 



Lake Tasse, or Spanish Lake, is a small and shallow body of water 

 about 7 miles northwest of New Iberia, La. It is about 2 miles long 

 and 1 mile wide. It has no inlets, but is supplied entirely by rains. 

 Two artificial outlets connect it with Bayou Teche. The water is neces 

 sarily quite warm in the summer, and is full of Nelumbo, Nuphar, 

 Nymphwa, Myriophyllum, and other aquatic vegetation. The following 

 fishes are said to occur in this lake: Large mouthed black bass, or 

 "green trout," reaching a weight of 6 to 10 pounds; sac-a-lait, goggle- 

 eye, bream, sunfish, barfish (Roccus chrysops), pike (Lucius vermicula- 

 tus), gar, grindle, goujon, blue cat, gaspergou, and buffalo. Alligators 

 are also very abundant. 



Lake Peigneur is situated 10 miles west of New Iberia, on the country 

 place of Mr. Joseph Jefferson. It is a beautiful lake about 1£ miles 



