BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 403 



Water-bugs supposed to injure carp —Mr. J. P. Quarles, of 

 Farmingtou, Wasb., writiug on December 29, 188G, says, in substance: 



When draining my carp pond, in November last, I found a few carp 

 whose tail fins seemed to have been nipped ofl', the places being covered 

 with a fungous growth resembling a bunch of cotton, while one or two 

 had one eye gone, and in its place was the same fungous growth. In 

 the water there are many bugs of three kinds: (1) This is about If 

 inches long by three-fourths inch wide, with a spare head like a beetle's, 

 and with long black wings, which are hard. (2) This has a round body, 

 with a head something like that of No. 1. (3) This is smaller, being 

 about three-fourths inch long by one-half wide, and very numerous. It 

 seems black in the water, but when out of water is black-and-white 

 spotted. It floats around the edges, but when alarmed dives to the bot- 

 tom. In the air it flies rapidly. When pressed with the hand it either 

 bites or stings, which is very painful. I think these bugs are what 

 injure the fish, but would like some information. 



Carp mullets cultivated in North Carolina. — Mr. W. E. 

 Fraley, of Salisbury, N. C, writing on December 14, 1886, speaks of 

 carp mullets,* which he has cultivated with considerable success, sub- 

 stantially as follows : 



For several years I cultivated carp mullets in one of my ponds with 

 good success. These fish bred well, and were the only fish, in fact, 

 that would do well in my ponds. On receiving my first lot of carp I 

 dispensed with the mullets for a time, but after a few years resumed 

 their cultivation. Though they were placed in a separate pond, a 

 freshet carried some of the carp into this pond, and I allowed the two 

 kinds of fish to remain together. 



This seems to have been very disastrous for the mullets ; for though 

 they increased for a while, yet last March, when I put in a net to catch 

 some, I found them in very poor condition. In November, 1886, 1 drained 

 the pond, and found only four little mullets, very poor and very small, 

 while there were about 250 fine fat carp of three different sizes. Under 

 these circumstances I have come to the conclusion that the carp, being 

 a very greedy fish, kept the mullets away from food and worried them 

 to death; and I believe, in general, that if carp mullets, or any of the 

 sucker tribe, are put in a pond with carp, the latter will eventually 

 starve out and destroy the former species. 



Some years ago I had millions of these mullets in my pond. They 

 grow to weigh li to 2 pounds, and are an excellent table fish if taken 

 in the fall or spring, but become insipid and soft in warm weather. 

 They are the only fish I ever s ucceeded in raising in my ponds except 



" This fish, scientifically known as Moxostoma carjiio (Val.) Jordan, is mentioned in 

 Jordan & Gilberi's Synopsis of North American Fishes, page 139 ; wliile the quarto 

 History of Aquatic Animals, pajje G14, speaks of several species of red horse {Moxoh- 

 tomc.) or suckers, of which this seems to bo one, as somewhat common in the West 

 ai}3 Sixih; acd the carp mullet is figured liy name at Plate 22'2 B of this quarto. 



