THE GERMAN CARP IN" THE UNITED STATES. 527 



was made of the abundance and distribution of carp in relation to the 

 conditions existing at various places, and measurements and records 

 were taken to determine if possible whether the fish had changed 

 perceptibly in accommodating- itself to these conditions. 



Most of the time, however, was given to the more strictly economic 

 side of the question, and hence, either on account of their uncom- 

 pleted state or because of their technical nature, the results of certain 

 lines of the study have been omitted from the present report. One 

 of the more strictly economic questions was the relation of the lish to 

 aquatic vegetation, the destruction of w^hich was being deplored, par- 

 ticularly by sportsmen, who maintained that the best food of many of 

 the d^ucks, such as the canvasback and redhead, was fast beijig destroyed 

 by the carp. It was also to be determined how far, if at all, carp 

 interfere with the spawning of other fishes, and whether they eat the 

 eggs and prey upon the young of other fishes, and if so, to what 

 extent. It was claimed that the}' were especially detrimental to bass 

 and white-fish — the former one of the greatest favorites of the sports- 

 man, the latter one of the most valuable food-fishes of the Great 

 Lakes. 



Offsetting the possible harm done b}' the carp to vegetation and to 

 the fisheries must be its own value as a food-fish; for the carp fishery 

 has within the last few j'ears, in the regions of the carp's greatest 

 abundance, grown to be an industry of no mean proportions. Must 

 the carp, then, be unconditionally condemned, or should we find that, 

 if properl}' utilized, its value would compensate for the degree of dam- 

 age it undoubtedly does? It is hoped that the conclusions reached in 

 the following pages may do much toward settling this question, though 

 there are still many points upon which fuller information is desirable. 



In order to make the report more useful to those wdio are interested 

 ife the carp, it has been thought best to include a general description of 

 the fish, its habits, and its history. The figures of the different vari- 

 eties of carp here reproduced (pi. i) are from drawings made for the 

 Bureau of Fisheries from fish in its ponds in Washington soon after 

 the introduction of the species into this countrj^. The photographs 

 and other figures are bj^ the author. 



It is impracticable to mention here all to whom I am indebted for 

 assistance of one kind or another in the prosecution of my investiga- 

 tions. I am under especial obligations, however, to Messrs. Cleaver, 

 of the firm of R. Bell & Co., Port Clinton, who not only furnished me 

 a place in which to work in their fish house, but placed at my dis- 

 posal, without cost, whatever carp were necessary for my work. The 

 Bense Fish Company (which has since changed hands), of the same 

 city, extended to me similar privileges. It was frequently necessary 

 for me to call upon Mr. S. W. Downing, superintendent of the Bureau 

 of Fisheries hatcher}^ at Put-in Bay, for aid, which was furnished with 



