chap, xx.] THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 243 



your ponds. And he advises not to suffer much 

 shooting at wild-fowl ; for that, he says, affrightens, 

 and harms, and destroys, the fish. 



Note, that Carps and Tench thrive and breed 

 best when no other fish is put with them into the 

 same pond ; for all other fish devour their spawn, 

 or at least the greatest part of it. And note, that 

 clods of grass thrown into any pond, feed any Carps 

 in summer ; and that garden-earth and parsley 

 thrown into a pond, recovers and refreshes the sick 

 fish. And note, that when you store your pond, 

 you are to put into it two or three melters for one 

 spawner, if you put them into a breeding-pond ; 

 but if into a nurse-pond, or feeding-pond, in which 

 they will not breed, then no care is to be taken, 

 whether there be most male or female Carps. 



It is observed, that the best ponds to breed Carps 

 are those that be stony or sandy, and are warm and 

 free from wind ; and that are not deep, but have 

 willow-trees, and grass on their sides, over which 

 the water does sometimes flow : and note, that 

 Carps do more usually breed in marle-pits, or pits 

 that have clean clay-bottoms, or in new ponds, or 

 ponds that lie dry a winter-season, than in old ponds 

 that be full of mud and weeds. 



Well, Scholar, I have told you the substance of 

 all that either observation or discourse, or a dili- 

 gent survey of Dubravius and Lebault hath told me : 

 not that they, in their long discourses, have not said 



