214 AMERICAN FISH CULTUKB. 



hundred and fifty pounds. I have seen them cut trans- 

 versely into steaks and I have heard the music of the fry- 

 ing-pan, and have smelt them as they were fried, but never 

 had the curiosity to taste of them ; they are coarse grained 

 and, it is said, are not palatable. 



There is a species, the yellow catfish, found in ponds and 

 streams not communicating with tidal waters, as well as the 

 ditches and creeks which do. These are inferior to the 

 white or blue forked-tail catfish, whose more natural 

 habitat is tide and brackish water. The latter, however, 

 if prevented from their run to tidal rivers, become perma- 

 nent above them, as they have in the Schuylkill above the 

 Fairmount dam. If these smaller species were not so com- 

 mon they would be more generally esteemed. These are 

 far better fish for the pan ; their flesh is firm and sweet, 

 and resembles that of the trout or the breast of a young 

 chicken, more than the flesh of any other fish. " Catfish 

 and coffee," at the Falls of Schuylkill, was formerly, and, 

 to some extent, is still an " institution •" and a catfish 

 supper with et ceteras there, was a thing " not to be 

 sneezed at." 



In Philadelphia they are a favorite dish. The shrill cry 

 of "buy any catfish," sometimes awakens the slumberer at 

 early morn ; or the wife, or man of the house, or servant 

 returns from market with bunches of catfish, denuded and 

 beheaded. The " catties" are dipped in raw egg, rolled in 

 corn-meal or grated cracker, a few turns are given in the 

 fizzing, spitting lard of the well-heated frying-pan, and in a 



