DESCRIPTION OF THE CARP. 201 



Since, however, their wisdom has pronounced that henceforth 

 the Carp is to be a game fish of America, I shall proceed to 

 describe this '' scaly foreigner," thus naturalised with a five 

 years' exemption from liability to capture, in the waters of 

 Hudson's river. 



The European Carp is one of the fish which has been the 

 longest known and esteemed, being mentioned by Aristotle and 

 Pliny, although they do not at that period appear to have 

 attained their present celebrity. They are found in most of 

 the lakes and rivers of Europe, but thrive best in the more 

 temperate southern districts, degenerating when they are 

 carried farther north. It is said that in Russia they are even 

 now unknown. " Their growth," says Mr. Yarrel, " is, however, 

 particularly cultivated in Austria and Prussia, and considerable 

 traffic in Carp prevails in various parts of the European 

 continent, where an acre of water will let for as much yearly 

 rent as an acre of land, and where fresh-water fishes, as articles 

 of food, are held in higher estimation than in this country" — 

 Mr. Yarrel means England, but the observation is even more 

 applicable to the United States than to Great Britain. 

 " Carp," he continues, " are said to live to a great age, even 

 to one hundred and fifty or two hundred years; but they 

 lose their rich colour — their scales, like the productions of 

 the cuticle in some other animals, becoming grey and white 

 with age." 



The exact period of the introduction of the Carp to England 

 is unknown, but it is mentioned in the ^' Boke of St. Albans," by 

 Lady Juliana Berners, printed in 1496, and the great pro- 

 bability is that it was naturalised from the continent, proljably 



