THE AQUARIUM, OCTOBER, 1893. 



67 



age," in the full acceptation of the 

 term, and instances have been recorded 

 where the age was a full century, 

 though this has been eclipsed by the 

 fish having been known to live to the 

 ripe age of one hundred and fifty years. 

 This would seem incrodible were the 

 fact not well authenticated. Tradition, 

 as is always the case, tends to magnify 

 any natural phenomena that may 

 either be wonderful or astonishing, and 

 has gathered about the carp a halo of 

 romance. It is said, though the story 

 cannot be vouched for, that the tame 

 carp in the ponds of Fontainebleau 



At the pond of Schloss-Charlotten- 

 burg, near Berlin, some very large and 

 old carp are exhibited to visitors. AVlien 

 the bell is rung, it being the signal for 

 their feeding time, the surface of the 

 pond near the bridge from which they 

 are fed is lashed into a foam by the 

 large number of carp, in their endeavors 

 to get a share of the black rye bread 

 with which they are fed. 



This fish, when purely bred and 

 raised upon a systematic diet, is con- 

 sidered in Germany as a delicacy of the 

 first rank. Should an esteemed visitor 

 abide at the house of a German host, a 



Ift ulerllt. Del 



were placed there during the reign of 

 Francis I. ; this of course would give 

 them an age of more than three and a 

 half centuries, a thing very difficult of 

 belief when unaccompanied with con- 

 vincing evidence. However, all this may 

 be, it is not uninteresting to know. 



At an advanced age the carp loses 

 the golden hue of its scales, assuming a 

 dull ashy color, while at the same time 

 moss is found to grow upon the head 

 and back. 



By long care and training the carp, 

 like many other fish, seem to recognize 

 certain sounds, as for instance, when 

 thev are called to be fed. 



rich and delicious carp is served up 

 with all the honors of the household. 

 Indeed, with the Germans, the carp 

 is the beau ideal of a Christmas dish, 

 just as with us is the turkey. Great 

 carp festivals (Karpfen Schmauss) are 

 celebrated in the fall of each year, to 

 which many people from a distance 

 repair to regale themselves upon the 

 fish they love so much. On these oc- 

 casions all the resources of the culinary 

 art are drawn upon to prepare the carp 

 in the most appetizing and enticing 

 forms, no trouble being thought too 

 great to make the feast thoroughly en- 

 joyable and a gastronomic success. The 



