Oneida Lake Fishes 319 



regions where LmiiIi uccur. As it is abundant in I^ike Eric (Jordan aiui l-,vtTniann, 

 '96, p. 196) doubtless many arc cauylit in jwiuntl-ncts there and sold, (ireeley 

 ('27, p. 58 j considers this as good a fo<xl fish as the Common Ked-horse, but nut 

 becoming so large. 



Rcferemes. Baker, 'i(>; ForI)e>, '8^!a; ForI>es and Richardson, '09; Greeley. 

 '2~ : Jordan and Evemiann, \/k 



Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus. L aki-. The Carp ( l"ig. 188) is a well known 

 exotic sjxcies that has become abundant in Oneida I-ake, as it has in other waters 

 suitable lor it in the United States. It is a native of China (Forbes and Richard- 

 son, '09, p. 105) and has been widely introduced on account of its being reared 

 in |)onds and for its value as food. In the United States, however, it is not gen- 

 erally esteemed, chiefly because of the mimerous better varieties of native fish to 

 be had, and the ease with which meat and other sources of food may Ije obtained. 

 Embody ('15, p. 214) explains the popularity of the Carp in European countries 

 as follows: "Necessity no doubt has lieen the primary cause of the development of 

 this industry. The supply of fish in the public waters of these countries was 

 exhausted long ago, and, since sufficient meat could not be raised on land fully to 

 supply the increasing demand, it became necessary to transform waste lands into 

 water areas and to stock them with fish." \\\\h the increase in population in the 

 United .States. Carp raising is likely to become an important industry as in Europe. 

 In Xew York City there is a large demand for Carp as table fish. In Oneida I-ike 

 it is considered a pest, largely Ix-cause there has been no satisfactory legal methtxl 

 of reducing the excessive nunil)ers. and in ]«rt because of prejudice. A com- 

 prehensive stutly of the species has lieen started by the Con.servation Commission. 



The Carp was intnxluced into the United States alxnit iS7(>. Smiley ('81. 

 p. f>43 » writes that it was imported from Germany, and that some were j)laced by 

 Hcssel in Druid Hill Park. Baltimore. May 26. 1876. Forl)es and Kichards<in 

 ('09, p. 105) state that the Carp was intrtMluced into I'"uro|x.' al«'Ut i_'27. and suc- 

 cessfully intro<luced in the I'nited .States in 1877 by Hcssel. Linnaeus (Bean. 

 '02, p. 292) states that Carp were intriKluciHl into England in 1(100. IX-Kay is 

 given as authority for the statement that the fi.sh was brought into New York State 

 in 1831. Kee<l and Wright ('09, p. 396) say the fish has Iieen known to inhabit 

 Cayuga I-nke since i88f>. It nnist have increased rapiflly there for Hankinson 

 recalls its extreme abundance in that lake as early as i8<>8. KikI/. (26, p. 5<)8 » 

 says that it escaped from private |K>nds into I.ake Erie in 1883. Cole (05. p. 51)7) 

 re|Hirts none in the Great I.akes prior to 1879 and gives (p. 633* an interesting 

 accoimt of if* introiluction into the United States, including reasons for its f.iilure 

 to iKVome generally i>opnIar. which are as follows: (i > ri'o()lc exiK-cted too much 

 from the fish: C21 the muddy fl.ivor of its llesh. ilue to capture at wrong seasons, 

 was extensively advertised and develo|K"<l prejudices .igainst the fish for table use; 

 (3 ) there was a lack of knowlc<lgc of projxr methtxls of preparing the fish. Cole 

 (l.c . p. 547) writes of the enthusiasm .ilxuit 1880 attending the distribution of 

 the Carp in the L'nited .States by the Fish Commission. There was an interest in 

 getting something for nothing and. "Here scrmed to Ik* an opixtrtmnty to have a 

 perpetual supply of fresh fish for anyone who had land with any kind of a mud 

 hole on it that would hold n few buckctfuls of wat«r. AccordioKly applications 



