CHAPTEE XVII. 

 Baits, Etc. 



The pot-bellied top-minnow, resembling the 



tadpole in action, is a worthless bait because it 



dies as soon as put on a hook ; but it is plentiful 



in slow-running streams and stagnant pools near 



the coast, and is useful only for other fish to 



feed upon. It is one of the most interesting as 



well as worthless of the small fishes. It is a 



curiosity only because, like the shark, it brings 



forth its young alive — from thirty to forty at a 



time — and will devour its own young as soon 



as bom. It, however, has several broods a year ; 



is at home in swamps, rice ditches and sluggish 



creeks, where it catches mosquitoes and other 



insects. 



* * * 



The bowfin or grindle is also a permanent 

 inhabitant of our sluggish and stagnant waters. 

 It reaches a weight of twelve pounds, resembles 

 a catfish somewhat, pulls like an eel, and is 

 awfully voracious, and cruel, as well as being 



