THE GERMAN CARP IN THE UNITED STATES. 



Car]) distr'ibuted l»j the United States Fish Commission. 



547 



a In 1894 400,000 young carp were used for feeding bass. 



&In 1896 about 600,000 young carp were used for feeding bass, and since that date all the carp 

 hatched by the Government have been used for the same purpo.se. 



* 



At the present time the carp has come to have a veiy general dis- 

 tribution, especiall}' in the temperate portions of the world. Its 

 distribution in Asia and Europe has already been mentioned (p. 537). 

 It is now found in abundance all over the United States wherever the 

 waters are at all suitable. Many were sent to Canada by this Govern- 

 ment shortl}^ after the introduction of the species, but with the excep- 

 tion of some of the waters of Ontario, especially in the vicinitv of the 

 Great Lakes, it does not appear to have become very abundant, owing 

 without doubt to the coldness of the waters. From this country a num- 

 ber of lots were sent to Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Mexico, where it was 

 said to be thriving. It was introduced into the Hawaiian Islands from 

 California, and Col)b (1902, p. 452) reports it as being found now on 

 the islands of Maui and Kauai. On the former it is quite common in 

 the irrigation ditches near Wailuku, where it is said to have been first 

 planted. The fish are not often sold, as they are not popular with the 

 whites and natives on account of their muddy flavor, but they are 

 caught and eaten by the Japanese and Chinese. 



In reference more particularly to the histor}^ of the carp in the 

 Great Lakes region, there can be little doubt that prior to 1879 there 

 were no carp here. In that year the first distribution was made bj^ the 

 United States Fish Commission, and those who received fish were 6 

 applicants in Ohio, 5 in Indiana, 2 in Illinois, and 1 in Wisconsin. In 

 the following year a large number of persona in these states received 

 carp either directly from the United States Commission or indirectly 

 through their state commissions, and the real introduction of this fish 

 into the waters of the Great Lakes basin may be said to date practi- 

 cally from that year. Tliis was only twenty-five 3^ears ago, and the 

 wonderful increase of carp since that time is in man}^ wa3's compara- 

 ble to that of the English sparrow in this country. 



The distribution of carp in 1880 did not take place until late in the 

 year— in November for the most part^ — and it is not likely that many 

 reached the public waters that fall. Many of them surely did so the 

 following season, however, to say nothing of those that were planted 



