98 THE SPORTING FISH 



youngsters for the most part, which being appa- 

 rently aware that they cannot possibly devour the 

 food in its hard and unbroken condition, proceed 

 with wonderful unanimity to push it with their 

 snouts to the nearest part of the stone wall con- 

 fining the lake. Against this they continue butting 

 it violently, until at length the repeated blows, and 

 the softening effect of the water, cause the ball to 

 break ; when, just at the moment that it is in a fit 

 state to be eaten, some half dozen enormous Carp, 

 white with age, which have been watching the 

 proceedings with evident interest, shoulder away 

 the young workers, who retire with great precipi- 

 tation, while the tyrants of the lake gobble or 

 rather suck in the pabulum which has cost the 

 small carp so much trouble to render fit for their 

 eating. It is the old story of might against right, 

 and as we have often witnessed what we have de- 

 scribed, we have no doubt that old Carp are as wily 

 as ancient foxes." 



This gentleman, it will be observed, confirms 

 Dr. Smith's statement as to the fact of Carp be- 

 coming gradually white from old age ; and it is a 

 curious fact that great age and exclusion from the 

 light produce apparently the same effects both on 

 fish and other animals — the skin or scales under- 

 going a sort of bleaching process, either from a 

 gradual drying up of the invigorating juices of the 

 body, or from the want of the sun's rays. In the 

 case of fish and reptiles whitened by exclusion 



