BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 2 1 1 



they increased from an average weight of ly 7 ^ pounds to 4A pounds— an 

 in crease of fully 300 per cent. Should these young fish make a propor- 

 tionate increase during the next summer, they will attain a weight of 

 7 pounds. They may fall short of this, but having an extra pound to 

 begin with, they will doubtless be very fine fish next autumn. 



Other illustrations could be given, pointing in the same direction. 

 From all which we conclude that if all the food Carp will consume be 

 given them their growth will be simply astonishing. 



In regard to the economy of feeding carp artificially, the matter has 

 been carefully tested in Germany. It has been determined, as we are 

 assured on the best authority, that 1 pound of food containing a suitable 

 proportion of albumen and the carbo-hydrates, and costing about 4 cents 

 of our money, will produce an increase of 1 pound of fish flesh. As the 

 food used is quite as cheap if not cheaper here than across the water, 

 a similar result can doubtless be produced in this country, and with a 

 very large profit. 



Frogs eating young carp. — Frogs have a reputation for possess- 

 ing a fondness for young carp. The dissection of a considerable num- 

 ber last summer satisfied me that this is no slander, and that small fish, 

 including carp, enter largely into their bill of fare ; hence they have no 

 more business in a carp pond than have eels and water-snakes. Kot 

 only does the bull-frog (Bana pipiens), but also the smaller green frogs 

 (B. esculenta) delight in a fish diet. One of the latter I caught in the 

 act of trying to swallow a carp nearly as large as itself. By an ex- 

 pert dodge it escaped a blow of my cane, and left the carp dead, which 

 measured 4 inches in length. On another occasion, while transferring 

 the young carp to the growing pond, another gieen frog was seen to 

 capture one, and, swimming away to a neighboring tussock, swallow it 

 at its leisure. 



Of the 12 bull-frogs dissected, one had in its capacious maw 4 brown 

 mud-fish, the largest being 3 inches long. One only of the 12 had re- 

 cently made a meal on carp, but had taken 2 to satisfy its appetite. 

 These large frogs had drawn upon every department of animated 

 nature for their supplies of food, including a full-grown meadow mouse, 

 1 young bird, 1 frog, 2 toads, 2 carp, 6 mud-fish, 1 mud-turtle, 1 potato- 

 beetle, 2 curculios, 7 other laud-beetles, 1 dragon-fly larva, 1 other water- 

 larva, 2 bugs, and 2 green caterpillars. They are said also to eat the 

 eggs of the carp. This is probably true of the smaller frogs, but the 

 full-grow u bull-frog, as well as the edible frog, seems to prefer larger 

 game. 



Do snappingturtles EAT CARP ?— Snapping-turtles are said to 

 be very destructive to carp — indeed one of their worst enemies. And 

 this may be true as far as the small carp are concerned. As bottom 

 feeders they would readily come within the reach of these vicious reptiles, 

 who would only have to hide themselves in the mud and wait for the 

 unsuspecting prey to come within the reach of their vise-like jaws. 



