66 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



the fishermen have a saying that when the cat-fish come the herring season is 

 over. An instance of this was observed by the writer in April, 1892, when, dur- 

 ing a period of four days a seine caught 118,000 herring, whilcon the fifth day no 

 herring were taken but an enormous haul of cat-fish was made. 



In Roanoke River, cat-fish 5 to 6 inches long are exceedingly abundant in 

 spring, and are caught in seines and weirs. The fishermen call the large pale 

 examples of the lower river "sound cats" and "bullheads", and call the small 

 dark ones "river cats" and "creek cats". 



During the spring fishing season, many are caught in seines hauled for shad 

 and alewives, especially in the night hauls on the flats. The species resorts to 

 the shad spawning-grounds to feed on the eggs, and must be enormously destruct- 

 ive in this way. On April 24, 1899, at Capehart's shad fishery at Avoca, not less 

 than 5,000 white cat-fish, from 6 to 24 inches long, were caught at one evening 

 haul, and these were without exception absolutely gorged with shad spawn, so 

 that their white bellies were distended like balloons. Schools of alewives are 

 followed to their spawning-grounds by droves of cat-fish, which feed on the eggs. 

 The spawn of white perch, yellow perch, and other species is also entensively 

 consumed by this cat-fish. 



Spawning occurs in summer, and the spawning habits appear to be quite, 

 similar to those of the bullhead {Ameiurus nebulosus) of which an account is 

 herein given. 



As food, this is one of the best of the cat-fishes, although its commercial 

 importance in North Carolina is comparatively slight, owing in part' to the abun- " 

 dance of other desirable fishes and in part to the fact that most of the cat-fish are 

 caught when shad, alewives, and striped bass are receiving special attention. 



34. AMEIURUS EBEBENNUS Jordan. 

 Goode's Oat-fish; Black Oat-fish. 



Ameiurus erebennus Jordan, Bulletin U. S. National Museum, x, 85, 1877; St. Johns River, Fla. Jordan, lSS9b, 

 125, 127; Tar and Neuse rivers. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 139. 



Diagnosis. — Body long, compressed, its depth somewhat less than .25 total length; head 

 large, .25 length of body, greatest width less than its length; jaws about equal; pectoral spine .5 

 length of head; anal fin deep, .3 total length, 22 to 24 rays; adipose fin large; caudal short, 

 posterior margin straight. Color: black above, pale below, fins and barbels black, (erebennus, 

 very black.) 



Inhabits coastwise waters from New Jersey to Florida. Length 1 foot. 

 Apparently rare in North Carolina, and as yet known only from Tar River near 

 Rocky Mount and Moccasin Swamp of the Neuse River near Goldsboro. 



35. AMEIURUS NATALIS (LeSueur). 

 Yellow Oat-fish. 



Pimelodua natalia LeSueur, Memoirs du Mus^e d'Histoire Naturelle, v, 154, 1819; North America. 

 Ameiurua natalU, Jordan, 18896, 127; tributaries of Neuse River near Goldsboro. Evermann & Cox, 1896; 

 Neuse River near Raleigh. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 139. 



