Fish and Fishing 



soon gives up the fight. The chub is not held in 

 any great esteem as food for the table, its flesh 

 being very coarse and hard. 



CARP 



The carp is a native of Asia, and was intro- 

 duced into America in 1831; its acclimation hjis 

 been wonderfully successful, especially in the 



South, where it continues to grow 

 Introduced throughout the year, and sometimes 



attains a remarkable size. It is a 

 favorite of thousands of modest fresh-water anglers 

 whose pleasure lies in quiet, peaceful delight, in 

 the midst of restful scenery of the woods and 

 meadows. The carp is a handsome fish, with 

 scales large in size and of a golden bronze color. 

 There are numerous species of this family. The 

 . mirrow, or king carp, is named on ac- 



count of the few and extraordinarily 

 large scales, which run along the body in three or 

 four rows, the rest of the body being bare. The 

 leather carp has on its back either only a few 

 scales or none at all, and possesses a thick, soft 

 skin which feels velvety to the touch. Then 

 there is a golden carp, popular in small ponds 

 and household aquariums. The common carp 

 has become very abundant in certain lakes and 

 rivers; those found in the latter are much the best 

 for the angler and are of better flavor. 



It prefers a muddy bottom, feeding principally 

 on vegetable food, the seeds of water-lilies, wild 

 84 



