SCALES, MIRRORS, LEATHERS 



" I stocked it at the rate of about forty-eight head 

 per acre; sixteen 'scales', sixteen 'mirrors', and sixteen 

 ' leathers '. Altogether, I put in sixteen hundred fish 

 of each kind. Everything went perfectly, and I had 

 no losses. I was delighted to find that everything 

 went well during the hot weather; the pond was full 

 all the season through, and I was not too much bothered 

 by weeds and water plants. Now winter is nearly 

 here and I am going to start fishing. The sluice was 

 opened the day before yesterday; the water will be 

 all out in about a week, and we shall be able to test 

 the results of the experiment. I say ' we ' because 

 I expect you. I hope to have the double satisfaction 

 of your company for a few days, and of being able to 

 discuss with you the various conclusions we arrive at 

 upon a subject which I consider of very great im- 

 portance." 



It is not difficult to understand the technical terms 

 my friend used in his letter. The three words, 

 " scales ", " mirrors ", " leathers ", are used to describe 

 three different kinds of carp, according to their appear- 

 ance. There are those which have scales of the 

 ordinary kind; those which have on their bodies broad 

 shining scales like mirrors; and, finally, those which 

 have no scales, but a leather-like skin. My friend spoke 

 of two-year-old fish, showing that the fry he used had 

 been already big and strong. They had spent two 

 years in the small ponds in which they were hatched 

 before they were caught and taken to the large pond in 

 which they had just spent their third year. As a 

 matter of fact, my friend spoke of summers instead of 

 years, because the fish only develop during the summer 

 and do not grow at all during the winter. 



I accepted the invitation and set out on the appointed 

 day. Before I arrived at my destination I had to cross 

 almost the whole of the Brenne plain. The approach 

 of winter had stripped the trees of their leaves, and I 

 could see for miles. A vast plain, with poor, pebbly 

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