2IO AUDUBON 



the Ohio, at Henderson, is rather more than half a mile 

 in breadth, and as catfishes weigh from one to an hun- 

 dred pounds, we manufactured a line which measured 

 about two hundred yards in length, as thick as the little 

 finger of some fair one yet in her teens, and as white as 

 the damsel's finger well could be, for it was wholly of 

 Kentucky cotton, just, let me tell you, because that sub- 

 stance stands the water better than either hemp or flax. 

 The main line finished, we made a hundred smaller ones, 

 about five feet in length, to each of which we fastened a 

 capital hook of Kirby and Co. 's manufacture. Now for 

 the bait ! 



It was the month of May. Nature had brought abroad 

 myriads of living beings ; they covered the earth, glided 

 through the water, and swarmed in the air. The catfish 

 is a voracious creature, not at all nice in feeding, but one 

 Vi^ho, like the Vulture, contents himself with carrion when 

 nothing better can be had. A few experiments proved to 

 us that, of the dainties with which we tried to allure them 

 to our hooks, they gave a decided preference, at that sea- 

 son, to live toads. These animals were very abundant 

 about Henderson. They ramble or feed, whether by in- 

 stinct or reason, during early or late twilight more than 

 at any other time, especially after a shower, and are un- 

 able to bear the heat of the sun's rays for several hours 

 before and after noon. We have a good number of these 

 crawling things in America, particularly in the western 

 and southern parts of the Union, and are very well sup- 

 plied with frogs, snakes, lizards, and even crocodiles, 

 which we call alligators; but there is enough of food for 

 them all, and we generally suffer them to creep about, to 

 leap or to flounder as they please, or in accordance with 

 the habits which have been given them by the great Con- 

 ductor of all. 



During the month of May, and indeed until autumn, we 

 found an abundant supply of toads. Many "fine ladies," 



