Photograph by J. Peat Millar, Beith. 
For the photograph of the group of Common 
Sun-fish, or, as they are called 
“Pumpkin locally, “ Pumpkin Seeds,” we 
Seed." are indebted to Dr. R. W. 
Shufeldt. The following quotation we take 
from Drs. Jordan & Hvermann’s ‘‘ American 
Food and Game Fishes’ :— 
‘Slowly upward, wavering, gleaming 
Rose the Uqudwash, the Sun-fish ; 
Seized the line of Hiawatha, 
Swung with all its weight upon it. 
But when Hiawatha saw him 
Slowly rising through the water, 
Lifting up his disc refulgent, 
Loud he shouted in derision 
‘Hsa! esa! shame upon you, 
You are Uqudwash, the Sun-fish: 
You are not the fish I wanted; 
You are not the King of Fishes.’ ” 
Longfellow. 
“And Hiawatha was quite right. The 
sun-fish is by no means the king of fishes. 
Photograph by Perey Ashendon. 
SILVER FISH. 
YOUNG THRUSHES. 
But there is no fish which has been oftener 
sought by the young angler, or which has 
brought more joy to the American boy of 
every generation. The ‘pumpkin seed’ is 
pre-eminently the small boy’s fish, though 
it is by no means despised by children of 
larger growth. Never reaching a size that 
quite satisfies anyone except the boy, yet 
biting with a vim which makes one regret 
that it is not large; for a two or three 
pound ‘sunny’ would surely be a fish to 
try the skill and delight the heart of any 
angler. 
“The ‘pumpkin seed’ is a familiar in- 
habitant of clear brooks and ponds from 
Maine to the great lakes, and southward 
east of the Alleghanies to Florida. In the 
Mississippi Valley it is found only in the 
northern portion, being fairly abundant in 
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, and north- 
ward. It is said to be rather rare south 
of Virginia. 
It reaches a 
length of eight 
inches and a 
weight of six or 
eight ounces, and 
is ‘a very beauti- 
ful and compact 
little fish, perfect 
in all its parts, 
looking like a 
brilliant coin 
fresh from the 
maint.’ ” 
316 
