30 NATURAL HISTORY. 



be renewed immediately. As the flesh of the carp, whilst 

 remaining in this pond, acquires an unpleasant taste, the 

 fish are removed to the third pool, where they are fed 

 entirely on vegetable aliment. Every six years these 

 ponds must be drawn off perfectly dry, and cleared of all 

 reed grass or marsh growths ; this done, the bottom is 

 sowed with oats, barley, or other grains, so that good 

 food is in readiness for the new comers. The old carp 

 are very cunning and shy of taking a bait, and on seeing 

 the young ones approaching a baited hook, frighten them 

 off by striking them a hard blow with their tail. The 

 writer once observed, in a pond covered with a roof, a 

 number of carp that seized eagerly on pieces of bread 

 thrown them, but when the rain, falling from the eaves, 

 resembled lines attached to the bread, the young were at 

 once driven away by the old ones, who were contented to 

 watch without eating. These fish are taken either by a 

 dragnet or hooks baited with worms. Salt water does 

 not injure them, for they abound in the Caspian Sea. 

 There is a species, called S/imers, which are naked on 

 the back, but have the sides and under portion of the 

 body covered with large, shiny scales, from which they 

 receive their name. 



The Bastard Carp (cyprinus carassius) has no beard ; 

 the body is high, and of a yellow brown ; green on the 

 back, and pale yellow below ; weighs four pounds ; feeds 

 like the carp, and is similarly valued and treated. 



The Golden Carp (cyprinus auratus), originally 

 brought from China, and now kept by many in glass 

 globes for ornament or amusement, is about five inches 

 long, and of a brilliant gold color. These fishes are fed 

 on bread crumbs, wafers, hard boiled eggs, etc. They 

 are now domesticated in our garden ponds or basins, 



