Excerpt from The Book of Fishes: Presenting the Better Known Species of Food and Game Fishes of the Coastal and Inland Waters of the United StatesThese same fresh and salt water areas, in addition to being reservoirs of food, provide unending recreational Opportunity and healthful out-of-door sport to people in every walk Of life, young and Old. The thrill of search and contest between man and fighting fish, be it angled for with bent pin or giant hook of steel, has few equals. The Book of Fishes, it is hoped, will be of interest and value to expert fisherman and layman alike because it presents an illuminating life story of the more important Of the fishes to be found in North American waters. These species not only are a Vital factor in the Nation's food supply, but also, through the sport and commercial fisheries they support, provide em ployment for many thousands Of men and women. SO rich are American coastal waters, rivers, and bays in variety Of fishes that to describe comprehensively every known species would necessitate a dozen encyclopedic volumes, too costly for general ownership. Therefore, out Of the great treasure Of ichthyological material gathered by the National Geographic Society, the chapters, photographic illustrations, and original color plates of this volume have been selected, and the most famous fishes Of the diverse regions of the country, of the East and West coasts and the inland waters between them, are described and pictured.