THE GERMAN CARP IN THE UNITED STATES. 577 



observations seem to agree with those of Hessel (op. cit.), who 

 describes the process as follows: 



They lash the water in a lively way, twisting the posterior i)ortioii of the l)ody 

 energetically, and shooting through the water near its surface with short, tremulous 

 movements of the fins. They do so in groups of two or three males to one female 

 fish, and forming an almost compact mass. This is the moment when the female 

 drops the eggs, which imsnediatcly are impregnated by the milter. 



To this he adds: 



As tliis process is repeated several times, the female drops probably only from 400 

 to 500 eggs at a time, in order to gain resting time, so that it will require days and 

 weeks before it has given up the last egg. 



Among the earliest observations on the spawning habits of the carp 

 are undoubtedly those mentioned b}^ Walton (1901 ed., p. 116), which 

 are interesting on account of their curious mixture of more or less 

 accurate observations and quaint ideas. Walton sa3's: 



I told you that Sir Francis Bacon tliinks that the Carp lives but ten years: but 

 Janus Dubravius has writ a book Of fish and fish-ponds in which he says, that Carps 

 begin to spawn at the age of three years, and continue to <lo so till thirty: he says 

 also, that in the time of their breeding, which is in summer, when the sun hath 

 Avarmed both the earth and water, and so apted them also for generation, that then 

 three or four male Carps will follow a female; and that then, she putting on a seem- 

 ing coyness, they force her through weeds and flags, where she lets fall her eggs or 

 spawn, which sticks fast to the weeds; and then they let fall their melt iipon it, and 

 so it becomes in a short time to be a living fish: and, as I told you, it is thought that 

 the Carp does this several months in the year; and most believe, that most fish 

 breed after this manner, except the Eel. And it has been observed, that when the 

 spawner has weakened herself by doing that natural office, that two or three melters 

 have helped her from off the weeds, by bearing her up on both sides, and guarding 

 her into the deep. And you may note, that though this may seem a curiosity not 

 worth observing, yet others have judged it worth their time and costs to make glass 

 hives, and order them in such a manner as to see how bees have bred and made 

 theiy honeycombs, and how they have obeyed their king, and governed their com- 

 monwealth. But it is thought that all Carps are not bred by generation; but that 

 some breed other ways, as some Pikes do. 



It may be of interest to give one other account v)f the spawning, 

 though it adds nothing in the way of accurate details. Nicklas (1886, 

 p. 548) quotes the following from Horak: 



The female fish, or spawners, accompanied by the male fish, or milters, move rap- 

 idly along the edges of tlie pond, or near the calm surface of the water. The actual 

 process of spawning generally takes place during the early part of the forenoon. I 

 have taken careful observations of this process, and have invariably noticed that sev- 

 eral milters always accompanied one female fish, and deposit their spawn, for not all 

 females spawn, at the same time. Sometimes this accompanying degenerates into a 

 regular chase which lasts until the act of propagation has been consummated. At 

 the beginning of the spawning season the fish therefore gather in large shoals and 

 move so close together as actually to touch each other. During warm, calm weather 

 the spawning process is carried on at so lively a rate that the water is s»iuirted 50 to 

 85 cm. [20 to 34 inches] above the surface. 



In another place Nicklas (op. cit., p. 523) says that in the artiticial 

 propagation of carp the spawning ponds "must contain some stones, 



F. C. 1901—37 



