260 SUCKERS, CARP, AND MINNOWS 



The Red-Horse,^ or so-called "Mullet," which makes 

 Ohio the centre of its distribution, is an abundant and well- 

 known fish in the region west of the Alleghanies. It is rather 

 handsome in colors, and, although its flesh is coarse and 

 insipid, it is really an important food fish in its region. , 



The Buffalo Fishes^ comprise three species, all big and 

 burly, ranging in maximum weight from 35 to 50 pounds, 

 and from 2 to 33^^ feet in length. They inhabit the Missis- 

 sippi and its tributaries, and in the spawning season push 

 their way even into the larger lakes and flooded marshes of 

 Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota. I have seen specimens 

 weighing between 30 and 40 pounds caught in the Mississippi, 

 at Burlington, Iowa, by hand-line fishing between lumber 

 rafts, with about as much interest and enthusiasm on the 

 part of the fisherman as usually attends the capture of a 

 good strawberry bass. One fat and fearless "angler" sat on 

 a chair and Vjaited his hook with cheese. 



But let no one underrate the economic importance of 

 the Buffalo Fish. The catch of 1899, chiefly in Illinois, 

 Arkansas, Mississippi and Missouri, in the order named, 

 amounted to 14,221,988 pounds, worth $350,026. 



Since 1899 the Buft'alo-Fish has held its own remarkably 

 well. 



The Mississippi River and tributaries 



yielded (1903) 11,491,0,33 pounds, worth $312,303 



The Great Lakes (190,3) yielded 2,002 " " 45 



The interior waters (1900-03) 



yielded 33,866 " " 1,493 



11,527,501 $313,841 



' Mox-os-to' ma au-re-o'lnm. 



^ The common Buffalo Fish is Ic-ti'u-bus cyp-ri-nel'la. 



