EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. *43 



ception, in the vicinity of tlie State liatcbing-honse in that pariv ; and on 

 the 2Gtli of May Mr. Hessel placed tliere 227 naked and mirror carp and 

 118 common carp. Tliese were placed in charge of Mr. Hessel, under 

 the general superintendence of Mr. Ferguson. 



The ponds originally constructed by the park commissioners not be- 

 ing sufficient to accommodate the fish, they authorized the excavation 

 of several others, at an expense of $1,000, and it is expected that these 

 will be finished at an early day. As, however, even with this extension, 

 the quarters for the breeding-fish were not sufficient, the suggestion of 

 Mr. Hessel that application be made to Congress for the use of the Bab- 

 cock Lakes in the Monument Lot, in the city of Washington, was acted 

 upon, and towards the end of the year authority was given by Congress 

 for the use of the Monument Lot for the purpose in question, and an 

 appropriation of $5,000 made for the i)roper construction and arrange- 

 ment of the water under the direction of Colonel Casey, superintendent 

 of Public Buildings and Grounds. This work has been commenced and 

 will be finished probably in the course of the coming spring ; and when- 

 ever it can be done, a portion of the carp and other fish will be brought 

 over from Druid Hill Park ponds, so that the experiment may be car- 

 ried on in the two localities. 



The Monument Lot ponds contain about six acres each. They will be 

 drained off and the bottom leveled and ditches prepared similar to 

 those suggested in Mr. Hessel's article on carp ponds in a previous re- 

 port. A low place, now perfectly bare at low water, and in the vicinity 

 of the two ponds can, with little expense, be reclaimed and made to add 

 another pond of twelve or fourteen acres. 



It is proposed to establish on the island in the west pond some small 

 inclosures for the breeding-fish. 



Considerable discussion has arisen as to the person to whom the intro- 

 duction of the carp into America is due; indeed, it is claimed that this 

 was done many years ago. Certain fish-ponds on the Hudso]i Eiver are 

 said to have been emptied of their contents by a sudden freshet, and, 

 as a consequence, the Hudson is now full of what is called the carp and 

 sold as such in the New York market. I have not yet, however, been 

 able to find a single fish among those sold as carp which is really any 

 other than the common gold-fish, reverted to its original normal con- 

 dition. Indeed, in the olivaceous fish caught in great numbers in the 

 Hudson there are usually found precisely similar specimens of white, 

 red, and all intermediate conditions. While, therefore, I cannot say that 

 no genuine carp were transferred to the Hudson, none have come under 

 my observation; and it has occurred to me as possible that the Prussian 

 carp, Cyprinus carassius, L., may have been the one introduced, or possi- 

 bly the hybrid progeny of this and the true carp may have been gradually 

 mixed with the gold-fish. 



Some years ago Mr. Poppe, of Sonoma, Cal., brought fi^om Germany 

 some half-dozen specimens of scale carx), and has since made a thriv- 



