562 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 



statement as to whether the respiratory movements are suspended, 

 and I have myself had no opportunity to observe carp in this condi- 

 tion. When I visited Lake Erie in November, 1901, some carp at 

 least were still moving - about, as they were taken in small numbers 

 daily in the pounds and gill nets set for white-fish. This in spite of 

 the fact that the weather was very cold, with frequent snow squalls, 

 though the lake had not yet begun to freeze. Examination of the 

 stomachs of these fish showed, too, that they had been feeding, though 

 in no case was there much food in the alimentary tract. This observa- 

 tion agrees with the statement of Brakeley (1889), who says that 

 instead of hibernating with the nose in the mud for several months, as 

 they do in Europe, in this country they do so only for a short time, if 

 at all. 



VITALITY. 



Many instances have been reported to show the extent to which 

 carp can resist cold. 1 can not do better than to quote a case 

 reported by Smiley (1880, p. 070): 



On the morning of January 4, 188-1, 2,100 German carp were forwarded from Wash- 

 ington, by express, to Birmingham, Ala. Mr. F. L. Donnelly, a messenger of the 

 Commission, proceeded by the same train to watch them on their passage and to 

 take charge of them upon their arrival at Birmingham. The fish had been placed 

 in the usual 4-quart tin pails, and packed in crates of 16 pails each. Each pail 

 contained 15 carp. 



Mr. Donnelly and the carp arrived at Birmingham at 1.30 a. m., January 6.- The 

 packages were left in the oihce of the Southern Express Company through the 

 remainder of that night, but placed within 10 feet of the stove in order to prevent 

 the water freezing. The thermometer indicated 4-4° E. at the time of arrival. At 

 8 o'clock on the morning of the 6th Mr. Donnelly examined the condition of the 

 fish, and in his official report dated January 14, says: 



"I was greatly surprised to find every drop of water in the buckets frozen into 

 solid ice, and all the fish apparently dead; but upon close examination of their eyes, 

 I thought perhaps a great many of them were still alive, though frozen solid in the ice." 



Mr. Donnelly thereupon courageously undertook to see if any of the fish could be 

 saved. lie procured the necessary laborers, four large tubs, and a supply of water. 

 He then broke the ice from the small pails, transferring such as contained carp to 

 the water, lie states that "in this manner a great number of fish Avere soon freed 

 from their confinement, and by constant working with them during the entire day 

 we were able to save 1,300 fish." Although the thermometer continued to remain 

 in the vicinity of zero, by careful management he succeeded in keeping the 1,300 fish 

 alive until the 8th and 9th, when they were distributed to the applicants throughout 

 the State. 



The saving of 1,300 carp out of a lot of 2,100, under such circumstances, may be 

 considered a very remarkable achievement. 



Having prepared the foregoing statement from Mr. Donnelly's report, I sent a copy 

 of it to Mr. L. II. Black, route agent, Southern Express Company, Montgomery, 

 Ala., asking how far he knew the statements to be true. Under date of January 25, 

 1884, he wrote" me in reply as follows: 



"As route agent of the Southern Express Company, my duties call me to Birming- 

 ham. I saw the carp first on the morning after their arrival at Birmingham, and 

 frequently during the day while Mr. Donnelly was at work with them. My opinion 



