Uncle Dick and Lisa's Old Time Animal Tales

 

[Havrs de Grace Republican.]

     A Mr. Hubbard, a bay fisherman, says that late in the spring you will often see a school of about fifty small catfish, not more than a quarter of an inch in length, very near the shore, and if you look ten or twelve feet further out you will see the mother cat. If a noise is made she will make a sign that the little “cats” understand as well as chickens do the cluck of a old hen when a hawk is in the neighborhood, and will run into the open mouth of the old catfish, who will then turn and swim off in safety with her young. Mr. Thomas Davis, of this city, some time ago told us that he noticed this care of a mother catfish for her young. He said he has often seen the young fish swimming about in the shallow water, while the old fish would not be far off. If danger threatened, the old “catty” would rush in among her young, and by a vigorous motion of her fin stir up the mud until the water became discolored and the young fish could no longer be seen. When the water would be clear again neither old or young fish would be visible.