EEL AND COMMON CARP 



Reed-Warbler exclaims, ' I can't stand that person ; 

 he's so like the Adder, who ate my Uttle sister last year 

 when she fell to the ground as she was learning to fly. 

 He has the same offensive manners, and is just as 

 slippery.' " 



True the Eel is slippery, as has already been stated, 

 but to compare it with the Adder in this respect is an 

 injustice to the latter, though it is more than probable 

 the Snake in question is capable of devouring Mrs. 

 Reed-Warbler's " little sister.'' 



/Omi-non 



Common Carp. — Cyprimis carpio (Fig. 41). Whilst 

 there are three species of Carp on the British list, two 

 species — the Common Carp and the well-known Goldfish 

 {Carassius auratus) — have been introduced from China, 

 and the third — the Crucian Carp {Carassius vulgaris) — 

 is of European origin, but probably is not entitled to 

 inclusion in our own native fauna. As my own family 

 used to have the fishing rights in the old pool belonging to 

 Sop well Nunnery, I have a personal interest for men- 

 tioning thit the first reference to the Carp as a British 



79 



