33 



Capacity to live almost without water. Tlie openings be- 

 tween the gills are very much greater in the above mentioned 

 families, whereas in the Carps they are partially closed by a 

 membrane, Avhich, by retaining moisture, keeps the gills lon- 

 ger in a condition to abstract oxygen from the air, and ena- 

 bles them to live much longer out of water. 



Unfoi'tunately for our enterprise the weather was intensely 

 hot in Europe during Mr. Hessel's journey to the coast 

 through Germany, and during his passage across the Atlan- 

 tic. He lost all but twenty-five, of some three hundred and 

 seventy-five which he started with, before reaching New 

 York, and these were in such bad condition, that two more 

 died before they could be transferred from the tanks in which 

 they made the journey to the milk cans provided for their 

 transportation from New York to Baltimore. He reacbod 

 the carp ponds in Druid Hill Park, with three common Carp, 

 (Cyprinus Carpio), one of that variety which is destituti' of 

 scales, (Specularis), and is so highly prized. Twelve Tench, 

 (Cyprinus Tinea), and seven golden Tench, (Tinea Auratus), 

 the latter are prized highly as food, attaining rapidly a 

 Aveight of twelve or fifteen pounds. They are also very or- 

 namental, being of a rich golden colour. We regret that of 

 this importation,. only six Tench and two golden Tench sur- 

 vive, these are male and female, and we hope that we will 

 receive some increase from them next spring. 



Professor Baird, having sent one of Mr. Milner's assis- 

 tants, Mr. Welcher, with a lot of shad eggs w^hich were in- 

 tended for the German Government^ instructed him to re- 

 peat the attempt of transporting the carp, etc., to America 

 i)n his return. The breeding season having arrived, the 

 owners of ponds in'^Germany would not permit the fish to be 

 disturbed, so Mr. Welcher was not able to procure a very full 

 assortment, but transported successfully and delivered to 

 your Commissioner in New York, fifty carp, variety Oaras- 

 sius yibelio or Prussian carp, and forty-seven Orfus (Idus 

 Melanotus) which is a beautiful golden fish, surpassing the 

 common gold fish in^colour and form. A brilliant red col- 

 our covers the upper portion of the body, and the belly por- 



