104 BRITISH FRESH-WATER FISHES 



in 1790. Be the natural term of its years what it may, the 

 carp is tenacious of life in a degree far beyond most other 

 fishes, and will live for an indefinite time simply wrapped in 

 wet moss. 



As already mentioned, the carp is an Asiatic fish, but the 



ease with which it can be transported alive for great distances, 



wrapped in damp cloths or herbage, has been the 



Distribution. c . . ,. , -in 



reason or its establishment in probably every 

 European country. In Britain its distribution is very arbi- 

 trary ; wherever religious communities formerly existed, the 

 carp is pretty sure to survive in the neighbouring waters, 

 except in the north, where the streams are generally too rapid 

 and the winters perhaps too cold. Yet one sometimes comes 

 upon carp in the mild west of Scotland in places where one 

 would least expect them. On my own property in Galloway 

 there is a lonely little tarn situated close to the seashore, but 

 on the top of a cliff about one hundred feet above sea-level. 

 There is no stream flowing into it, neither is there any visible 

 outlet except in time of flood ; it is but a basin in the boulder 

 clay, and the whole surface does not extend to a couple of 

 acres. Behind it rises a steep, wild fell ; before it stretches 

 the expanse of St. George's Channel. There is not a human 

 habitation in sight ; a more lonely spot could scarcely be 

 imagined. It is a favourite haunt of wildfowl, and in old 

 times I used to make my way to it occasionally to secure 

 a brace of ducks. Not suspecting that it contained any fish, 

 it occurred to me long ago to turn in some trout, which was 

 done, and the incident was forgotten. Years afterwards I 

 happened to stand on the shore of this little loch on a summer 

 day, when suddenly a resounding splash echoed among the 

 rocks. A great fish had leaped itself from the dark waters, 

 and a few minutes later another rolled up in a sidelong way. 

 I never doubted that these were the long-forgotten trout 

 which appeared to have grown to amazing proportions ; and 

 next day I returned with a fly rod, prepared for spirited action. 



