4o8 



The National Geographic Magazine 



A Typical American Catfish (A. iicbulosiis) on Nest (Ideal) 



Champlain) nor in the waters, flowing 

 eastward, of the Middle States, but it is 

 an inhabitant of the Great Lakes (except 

 Superior) and of the Mississippi Basin, 

 as well as of the Southern States up to 

 Virginia and the Dismal Swamp. 



Sluggish waters are its favorite haunts, 

 and a couple of its names — mudfish and 

 marshfish — indicate places in which they 

 may be found. 



The male constructs the nest unaided, 

 scooping out the depression by rotating 

 its body, and breaking young shoots with 

 its snout. After the nest is constructed 

 it awaits the coming of a mate. 



The stock of eggs being provided, the 

 male bowfin redoubles his guardianship. 

 "At intervals he moves over the nest and 

 by the movements of his fins keeps the 

 £ggs free from sediment, which ivould 



otherzcdse smother them." All the time 

 he is on- the outlook for intruders, and 

 especially against other males. One 

 Reighard saw rushed at another male and 

 "struck him with his head in the middle 

 of the side and hurled him two feet from 

 the nest." Generally there is no contest, 

 for the rights of the nest-maker appear 

 to be respected, but occasionally too great 

 aggressiveness on the part of the occu- 

 pant or audacity of an intruder results in 

 a regular battle. Whitman and Eycles- 

 hymer tell of one : Two males that 

 claimed a female were imwilling to yield 

 one to the other, and "a fierce battle for 

 supremacy ensued" between them. "They 

 approached from opposite sides of the 

 nest and locked jaws in a most ferocious 

 manner. Their struggles were so violent 

 that a cloud of muddv water soon arose 



