402 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



Vitality of carp. — A small lot of carp was sent to C. E. Jones, 

 Carysbrook, Va., leaving Wasliingtou on the night of November 29, 

 1886, at 10 p. m. These carp were on the way over five days, they hav- 

 ing been delayed in Columbia. Mr. Jones, who lives 12 miles from that 

 point, on the Eivanna River, depended on the captain of a boat run- 

 ning between those points to bring the carp. The captain failed for 

 several days to do so, and the carp lay over in the express room with- 

 out a change of water. After this delay they were brought up the 

 river in an open boat 12 miles with the thermometer at 23^ Fahrenheit. 

 When Mr. Jones opened the bucket, December 4, he thought the fish 

 were a^ dead, as there were no signs of life and only a pint of 

 water, the rest having been turned to ice ; but noticing a slight move- 

 ment of the gills, he transferred the fish to tepid water and in thirty 

 minutes they were all lively. He then kept them over Sunday in the 

 house, during which time none died or showed any injurious effects. 

 This display of vitality is doubtless due to the cold weather at the time 

 the fish were shipped and during their stay in Columbia. 



Liability of young cakp to sTAR'srE. — Mr. O. P. Anderson, of 

 Osceola, Iowa, writing November 9, 1886, says that during the past 

 summer his thirty-two spawning fish produced millions of eggs which 

 hatched well, but the young perished in less than three days after hatch- 

 ing. He wrote to inquire the cause of this. His letter was referred to 

 Dr. Hessel, superintendent of the carp ponds, who, in reply thereto, 

 made the following statement: 



I do not think that Mr. Anderson's young fish died on account of any 

 injurious ingredients in the soil or water. Probably the lack of natural 

 food in the ponds killed them. Last summer was a cool one, the mean 

 temperature of the month of May being 64° at the Washington carp 

 ponds. The low temperature prevented the development of all kinds 

 of infusoria, which are the natural and best food for young fish. 



What Mr. Anderson might have done was to feed his small fish with 

 uncooked brain from any kind of mammal. Itshould be mashed through 

 a sieve to make it fine. A quarter of a pound per day is sufficient for 

 100,000 young fish when from two to six days old. When they get 

 older, raw liver may be given in the same manner, one-half to three- 

 fourths of a pound per day. The feeding should occur in the forenoon 

 about 8 or 9 o'clock, and not in the afternoon or evening. 



Common flour is also very good food for small fish, taking one-fourth 

 pound of flour to three gallons of water, and boiling it to make a very 

 thin paste. This, like any other kind of food for little fishes, must be 

 given in the very smallest particles. Blood contains a large percentage 

 of albumen, but must not be given to very young fry. The feeding 

 grounds should be arranged by fiistening pieces of old boards on the 

 ground in shallow water so that they will be a few inches under the 

 surface of the water. Fresh boards will not answer for this purpose. 



