136 The Complete Angler 



and continue to do so till thirty : he says also, that in 

 the time of their breeding, which is in summer, when 

 the sun hath warmed both the earth and water, and 

 so apted them also for generation, that then three or 

 four male Carps will follow a female ; and that then, 

 she putting on a seeming coyness, they force her 

 through weeds and flags, where she lets fall her 

 eggs or spawn, which sticks fast to the weeds ; and 

 then they let fall their melt upon it, and so it becomes 

 in a short time to be a living fish : and, as I told 

 you, it is thought that the Carp does this several 

 months in the year ; and most believe, that most fish 

 breed after this manner, except the Eel. And it 

 has been observed, that when the spawner has 

 weakened herself by doing that natural office, that 

 two or three melters have helped her from off the 

 weeds, by bearing her up on both sides, and guard- 

 ing her into the deep. And you may note, that 

 though this may seem a curiosity not worth observ- 

 ing, yet others have judged it worth their time and 

 costs to make glass hives, and order them in such a 

 manner as to see how bees. have bred and made 

 their honeycombs, and how they have obeyed their 

 king, and governed their commonwealth. But it is 

 thought that all Carps are not bred by generation ; 

 but that some breed other ways, as some Pikes do. 



The physicians make the galls and stones in the 

 heads of Carps to be very medicinable. But it is 

 not to be doubted but that in Italy they make great 

 profit of the spawn of Carps, by selling it to the Jews, 

 who make it into red caviare ; the Jews not being 

 by their law admitted to eat of caviare made of the 

 Sturgeon, that being a fish that wants scales, and, 

 as may appear in Leviticus xi., by them reputed to 

 be unclean. 



Much more might be said out of him, and out of 

 Aristotle, which Dubravius often quotes in his Dis- 



