Suffering Catfish

When the Mississippi River overflows every year, the countryside is covered with fish. When the waters recede, the fish congregate in stagnant pools. Last week, men in hip boots, were skimming these pools with nets. Every year the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries tries to save the Mississippi's stranded fish before the summer sun dries up the pools. Hauling up load after load of suffering fish, the rescuers return them to the main stream of the river or ship them away to stock special preserves. Black bass, pickerel pike, pike perch, white bass, yellow perch, crappies cannot stand crowding, bad water, must be rescued first. Buffalo fish, carp and catfish are toughest.

This year, because there has been so little rain, the work was begun a month earlier than usual. Last year flood conditions continued throughout the summer and only five million fish needed saving. This year's total is expected to exceed 150 million.

Equally uncomfortable, last week, were pet goldfish. Equally solicitous was the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries. It advised fish fanciers that on hot days goldfish should be taken from their bowls, put into shallow pans of fresh water.

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