320 Kooscz'cit Wild Life Annals 



for Carp piled in, and were filled as soon as possible. As a result of ignorance 

 and neglect, a large proportion of these fish or their offspring were soon undoubt- 

 edly in the public waters — largely from the breaking of dams of improperly con- 

 structed ponds, and two years later (in 1883) came reports of their being taken 

 in considerable numbers by fishermen in rivers and lakes." 



Smiley ('81 _) lists the places of distribution of Carp by the U. S. Fish Com- 

 mission, including those in New York State (p. 971). In the Illinois River, Carp 

 have made a remarkable increase (Forbes and Richardson, '19, p. 149), where 

 from 1894 to 1897 they increased from 9.6 per cent to 56.6 per cent of the total 

 catch. 



Smith ('96, p. 393) says that at that time Carp were present in all the states 

 of the Pacific and Rocky Mountain region and that they were sent to California in 

 1879 and to Nevada in 1881. Later, Smith ('07, p. 105) states that Carp were 

 found in all states and territories of the United States except Alaska. 



Taking the Carp the world over, it seems to be a very valuable fish to Man. 

 Taylor ('17, p. i) considered it the most valuable of fresh water fishes. Dr. Hugh 

 M. Smith ('10, p. 1406), makes the following statement: "The consumption of 

 Carp is certainly destined to increase greatly; but even if the catch reaches no 

 higher point the introduction of the Carp into the United States will remain the 

 leading achievement in fish acclimatization in recent times, and, with the exception 

 of the original introduction of the same fish into Europe from Asia, the most 

 important the world has known." Of course this is from the standpoint of a cheap 

 food fish. 



Breeding Habits and Life History. Carp appear to spawn in the shallow 

 marsh waters bordering Oneida Lake, in May and early June, according to Mr. W. 

 H. Weston, State Game Protector; but on July 2, 1916, many large carp were 

 seen by Mr. Becker, our field helper. They were splashing in the shallows border- 

 ing the lake at Walnut Point. Residents near Billington Bay informed us that 

 the marshy ground bordering the lake (Fig. i<)3~) was used as a spawning ground 

 for Carp, and that in early summer large nunibci^ <>{ lari^e fish school there, with 

 backs out of water, creating considerable disturl>aiice in the water with their noisy 

 splashings. The region appeared to us to be typical of described spawning grounds 

 of the species. Protector J. D. Black has observed Carp splashing in the flooded 

 pastures and meadows at the mouth of Chittenango Creek ; places not frequented 

 by breeding bass. Bean ('03, p. 168) gives the spawning time as May to August; 

 and it is likely that the season is mostly past by late spring and early siunmcr, in 

 New York State (Wright and Allen, '13, p. 5; Allen, '13, p. 57). Farther south 

 Carp begin spawning earlier. Richardson ('13, p. 390) foiuul them spawning near 

 Havana, Illinois, April 10. Cole ('05, p. 573) gives the spawning time as April 

 in southern United States to California, and May and June in northern states. 

 Mr. W. A. Dence saw several large Carp well inshore in Maple Bay, on June 13, 

 1927, and the water here was very roily. On the same day he likewise found 

 several in a small creek entering Chittenango Creek a short distance from the lake. 

 The water here was likewise roily. 



In spawning, a female is acconiiianied clcisely by several males (l-'orbes and 

 Richardson, '09, p. 107; Gill, '05. p. 206; Cole, 05, p. 575; Seeley. '86, p. 98). 



