FISHING IN AMERICAN WATERS. 
CHAPTER I. 
GENERAL CHARACTERIZATION OF FISHES. 
SECTION FIRST. 
ON seriously contem- 
plating the immensity 
of the waters and their 
innumerable inhabit- 
ants, it is not difficult to 
=. realize the importance 
of these branches of ma- 
terial and animal na- 
ture, and T shall con- 
sider myself fortunate 
if able to present rea- 
sons sufficient to induce 
the employment of an 
amount of time at all 
commensurate with the proper division of labor between land 
and water for the purposes of health, wealth, and recreation. 
Not only has a larger portion of this terraqueous ball been 
bequeathed to fish-kind than to mankind, but “its first faim- 
ilies” were also more richly endowed by Providence in beauty 
of form and of coloring. There was a period when all the in- 
habitants of this planet were fishes, previously to the sublime 
moment when “Gop said ‘Let the dry land appear’” The 
ancients thought that the illimitable beauties of the waters 
were reflected in the heavens; hence they gave to the con- 
stellaticns the names of fishes. Thus, prior to the time of 
B 
