GEN. CYPRINUS. THE COMMON CARP. A^ 



but much larger dimensions are sometimes given. 

 " The largest," says Mr. Yarrell, " I can refer to, 

 are thus noticed in Daniel's Rural Sports. — Mr. 

 Ladbroke, from his Park at Gatton, presented Lord 

 Egremont with a brace that weighed 35 lbs., as 

 specimens to ascertain whether the Surrey could 

 not vie with the SujQfolk Carp." In the year 1793, 

 he adds, at the fishing of a large piece of water at 

 Stourhead, where a thousand brace of killing Carp 

 were taken, the largest was thirty inches long, up- 

 wards of twenty-two inches in girth, and weighed 

 eighteen pounds. In warmer countries they attain 

 much larger dimensions, and reach, as stated by 

 Cuvier, to the length of four feet, and by Pallas to 

 not less than five, in the Volga. The Mirror Carp, 

 proposed by Mr. Boccius to be introduced into 

 this country, has been found in Saxony to weigh as 

 much as 55 lbs. and others have been reported as 

 high as 70 lbs. Such fish as these are supposed to 

 be from a hundred and fifty to two hundred years 

 old- 

 Carp appears to be a native of most of the tem- 

 perate countries of Europe. It was introduced in 

 the fifteenth century into England, where it is highly 

 prized, and thrives prodigiously. In Ireland like- 

 wise, where it is said to have been introduced by 

 James I., it is preserved in several places, as in the 

 counties of Cork, Kilkenny, Dublin, and probably 

 others. In Scotland it is generally said to be want- 

 ing (Mag. of Zool. and Bot., i. 391), and though 

 ^his statement may not be literally true, yet. 



