THE GERMAN CARP IN THE UNITED STATES. 601 



carp were first brought upon the market and the hue and cry raised as to their 

 destructive qualities, to open and to be present while hundreds of carps were opened, 

 to see if I could find in their stomachs anything that would indicate that they took 

 the fry of other fish or spawn of other fish. I can not say that I have never found 

 the spawn of other fish in their stomachs, but when I have found such spawn it has 

 been of such a nature as led me to believe that it was such spawn as floated on the 

 surface of the water, and that the carp took them in, in that sucking motion that he 

 has, going around on the surface of the water. 



From data given by Doctor Smith (1902) it appears that the blame 

 for the destruction of shad eggs has been wrongfully placed upon the 

 carp. He says that observations in the Potomac River show that the 

 carp do not molest the shad eggs, as the^y do not go upon the spawning- 

 grounds. The greatest amount of shad spawn is consumed b} r cat-fish 

 and eels. This was shown by having a large shad seine hauled over 

 grounds where the shad apparently had just spawned. Many shad 

 and alewives were caught, but mostly cat-fish (about 5,000 Ameiurus 

 aJbuJus) 6 to 18 inches long, and every one of these, so far as observed, 

 was gorged with shad eggs. 



With regard to the charge that carp devour the young of other fish, 

 any damage that it may do in this way is certainly so slight that it need 

 hardly be considered. It can not be said that carp never do capture 

 smaller fish, for two or three cases have been reported — one where a 

 carp ate some three minnows that were confined with it in a small 

 aquarium (Gurney, L8B0)", while in the other cases fish were said to 

 have been found in the stomach. The carp is obviously unadapted by 

 structure for capturing other tish for food. Its mouth is comparatively 

 small and adapted to •'sucking," while, furthermore, there are no 

 teeth which could be used in holding living prey. Its only teeth are 

 several rounded, knob-like structures situated well back in the " throat," 

 and known as pharyngeal teeth, and are of service only for crushing 

 and grinding. 



As to the third and fourth points, that carp prevent other fish from 

 nesting and that they produce unfavorable conditions which drive 

 other fish away, I know of no proof on either side further than what 

 has been brought out in the foregoing discussion. 



I have chosen to consider separately the relation of carp to the 

 white-fish, because the conditions in this instance are rather different 

 and distinct from those in the case of any of the other fishes consid- 

 ered. Then, too, the white-fish fishery is one of the most important 

 in the Great Lakes, and if it were found that the carp interfered 

 seriously with the spawning of the white-fish it would be a very strong- 

 point indeed against him. 



The white-fish of Lake Erie make an annual migration from the 



a "A specimen of the common carp, between 5 and 6 inches in length, was lately observed to devour 

 three small minnows, each of about an inch and a half in length, which were confined in the same 

 aquarium with him. One of these tin' carp seized immediately the minnow was placed in the 

 aquarium and swallowed it whole, head foremost." (Gurney, loc. cit.) 



