PRACTICAL CARP CULTURE. 97 



reddish, and has thick lips, while in the male it forms a narrow slit. 



Apparently without any knowledge of these German authorities, 

 Geo. M. Ramsey, M. D., of Clockey, Pa., writing under date of November 

 22, 1883, says: "I have discovered how to distinguish the sex of German 

 carp at all seasons of the year. By the inspection of the female carp a 

 small fleshy protuberance, that pouts a very little, will be seen in front 

 of the vent, whereas, in the male carp the same is slightly depressed or 

 sunken rather than protuberant. On examination each fish should be 

 held up to the light in the same position, back downward/' Evidently 

 Dr. Ramsey has made an independent discovery of what was already 

 known in Germany." 



SPAWNING. 



Some culturists state that their carp have spawned twice in one sea- 

 son. The time between these spawnings being from three weeks to four 

 months. We do not doubt the truthfulness of the persons making these 

 statements, but we do doubt that the same female carp develops and 

 ripens two sets of eggs the same season. In our opinion the facts are 

 these: The deposition of the eggs 'when once begun may be delayed, by 

 a change of weather, or a change of temperature in the water, even after 

 the carp have been thus engaged for a part of several days, they usually 

 begin early in the morning and continue until about noon, but when thus 

 interrupted they very rarely run over three weeks, until their work is 

 finished. Thus the same carp might be observed at their work a half a 

 dozen of times in that time, but it is all one set of ova. The longer time 

 of four months may be explained by the fact that it was a different set of 

 carp that engaged in the work. The different ages of the carp, and the 

 opportunities of growth and development the former season, would 

 reconcile the difference of time in the ripening of the ova, and explain 

 the statement that carp spawn twice. The fact being that different sets 

 of carp in the same pond spawned in parts of the season widely separated. 



We have often been asked, how to tell when carp are spawning? You 

 can't make any mistake about it, as you will know when you have once 

 seen it. The female, closely pursued by the male or males, rushes up 

 among the grass and water-plants at the edge of the pond, their backs 

 well out of water, and tails and fins a flashing, and the water boiling 

 around about them, turning and doubling, twisting and retreating, only to 

 come back again to the edge with another rush. If everything is favora- 

 ble this is continued for hours, more or less eggs being deposited with 

 every rush among the vegetation. As the eggs are dropped by the female 

 the following male rushing in the same course milts them. The eggs are 

 whitish and about the size of a No. 6 shot, are adhesive and stick to float- 

 ing objects, such as the leaves of water plants, etc., until they are hatched, 

 which takes from three to ten days, according to temperature. 



HOW TO CATCH CARP. 



They are good biters at a hook and are very garney when hooked. We 

 have lived within two miles of Lake Erie for 20 years, and have taken 



