CHAP. IX.] THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 1 57 



he has known sixty or more large Carps put into several ponds 

 near to a house, where by reason of the stakes in the ponds, and 

 the owner's constant being near to them, it was impossible they 

 should be stolen away from him : and that when he has, after 

 three or four years, emptied the pond, and expected an increase 

 from them by breeding young ones, for that they might do 

 so, he had, as the rule is, put in three melters for one spawner, 

 he has, I say, after three or four years, found neither a young 

 nor old Carp remaining. And the like I have known of one 

 that has almost watched the pond, and at a like distance of 

 time, at the fishing of a pond, found of seventy or eighty large 

 Carps not above five or six : and that he had forborne longer 

 to fish the said pond, but that he saw, in a hot day in summer, 

 a large Carp swim near the top of the water with a frog upon 

 his head ; and that he upon that occasion caused his pond 

 to be let dry : and I say, of seventy or eighty Carps, only 

 found five or six in the said pond, and those very sick and lean, 

 and with every one a frog sticking so fast on the head of the 

 said Carps, that the frog would not be got off without extreme 

 force or killing. And the gentleman that did affirm this to me 

 told me he saw it ; and did declare his belief to be, and I also 

 believe the same, that he thought the other Carps that were 

 so strangely lost were so killed by frogs, and then devoured. 



And a person of honor now living in Worcestershire * as- 

 sured me he had seen a necklace or collar of tadpoles hang like 

 a chain or necklace of beads about a Pike's neck, and to kill 

 him : whether it were for meat or malice must be to me a 

 question. 



But I am fallen into this discourse by accident ; of which I 

 might say more, but it has proved longer than I intended, and 

 possibly may not to you be considerable : I shall therefore give 

 you three or four more short observations of the Carp, and then 

 fall upon some directions how you shall fish for him. 



The age of Carps is by Sir Francis Bacon, in his " History 

 *Mr. Fr. Ru. 



