CARPS. 



215 



favourable to its increase. It feeds greedily 

 during open weather ; but in the depth of winter 

 buries itself in the mud, and lies inactive. It is 

 easily familiarized to the sight of man, and may 



be taught to come to the shallows to be fed by 

 hand. It will live a long time out of water, if 

 kept moist and cool. 



Carp are occasionally taken in nets in the 

 Thames as large as nine, and even ten pounds 

 each. The angling season opens at the beginning 

 of June, but for the whole of that month the 

 fish have hardly recovered from the exhaustion 

 attendant on spawning, and therefore are scarcely 

 worth the capturing. Towards July, they begin 

 to afford excellent sport ; thenceforward the river 



