G72 EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [14] 



EXEMIES. — It also contains frogs and roaches. The latter are very troublesome. 



Food. — I feed them but little, and then mostly on green corn. I sometimes have 

 given them bread. 



Growth.— Last October I had 12 left of the 1880 lot. These average from 2| to 3 

 pounds each. I have 14 left of the scaleless carp received in 1881, which will average 

 1 ponnd each. 



Reproductiox. — The young which I have taken this season weigh from 2 to 4 

 ounces each. I cannot say how many young have been produced. They have not 

 spawned this season up to July 29. 



Miscellaneous. — I .«ent E. W. Williams, of Yantic, 12 carp, old and young, in Oc- 

 tober, 1882. I think, with plenty of food, carp will make much greater growth than 

 any fish we have. In cool waler I expect to find the flesh firmer. I hope to distribute 

 some to ponds in the neighborhood this fall. 



62. 



Statement of TV. H. Siems, IVest Chester, New London Co., Conn., Aug. 6, 1883. 



Disposition of carp received. — Two years next November I received a can of 

 carp and put them in a pond prepared expressly for their reception. 



Growth. — On drawing tlu^ pond in May, 1883, to ascertain my success, I found 5 

 carp, one of which weighed 4J pounds. I have not seen the other 4 since, nor have I 

 discovered any sjiawn in the pond. 



Edible qualities. — I have eaten carp in Germany and know their value as a food- 

 fish. 



Fungus. — In May I also saw 2 large fish with white spots on their backs as large as 

 a silver dollar. Our fish commission claims this to be a fungous growth, which will 

 destroy the carp. 



D£L,A^VARE. 



()3. Statement of inUiani George Hill, Clayton, Kent Co., Del.,Sept.30, 1882. 



Growth. — I find the 3-inch carp put in my pond last fall to be over 18 inches long, 

 and one to weigh over 2 pounds. They exceeded all my expectations. Some of them 

 are scale carp and some mirror carp. 



64. Sfatemcni of Zebidon Ho2)kins, Farminglon, Kent Co., Del., Aug. 1, 1883. 



Disposition of carp RECEi'srED. — I received 4 dozen carp in December, 1880, and 

 put them in a spring pond, but it was a failure. 



65. Statement of T. B. Coursey, Frederica, Kent Co., Del., July 25 and Xov. 5, 1883, 



Disposition of carp received. — I received about 40 carp in the spring of 1881, 

 and have received 25 since then. My first pond covered about ^ of an acre, was 

 from 1 foot to 3 feet dee]), with muddy bottom predominating. There is waterenough 

 flowing in to fill a 2-inch pi])e under a ])rossureof a foot head. In 18"i2 1 made a new 

 l)ond of about 1 acre area and from 1 foot to 5 feet deep, to which I transferred 20 of 

 the carp in August, 1^82, leaving a few in the lirst pond. In September there came a 

 freshet and high tide, which overflowed the banks of the first pond nearly a foot and 

 of the new i)ond several inches. All of the carp left the first pond and went into the 

 creek. Subsequently the bank of the new pond gave way (underaiined by musk- 

 rats), thus letting out .'ill l)Ut 2 feet of water in the deepest place. Some of the carp 

 may have remained there, but of those escaping 5 lodged on the flats, which I secured 

 and put in a temporary place until spring, so as to let the banks of the pond settle 

 and become secure. 



Enemies. — The pond contained a few snnfish, minnows, and frogs. Minks in the 

 vicinity have preyed upon them. 



Food. — I gave the carp no food the first 6 months, but since then have given them 

 scraps once a day. They now come to be fed every evening like chickens, and tumble 

 about in the water for the scraps of bread like young porjJOises. 



Growth. — One of the carp received in March, 1881, grew in 5 months to a length 

 of 12^ inches without any food other thau that found in the water. August 24, 1882, 

 I had 18 of the original carp, some of them then 16 inches long and weighing 14 ounces. 

 In November, 1883, some of the carp weighed 3 pounds each. I have 24 beauties left. 



REP150DUCTI0N. — August 24, 1882, I found a number of young. This was more than 

 I anticipated, as I did not expect any until the following year. 



Miscellaneous. — I think the creek will be stocked with them and be well adapted 

 to their growth. A neighbor living about a mile down the creek caught in his shad 

 seine oue which weighed 3 pounds. He ate it, and pronounced it a good fish. 



