CARP. 



11 



Carp lately brought into England from Hamburg, and which, 

 beyond doubt, is the Cyprinus carassius of Linnaeus.) These 

 were put into two large bladders filled with water, which had 

 been shifted once or twice upon the road. He presently cut 

 open one of these Carps in Sir Hans's presence, and shewed 

 him the ovary, with its canal leading into the part called the 

 cloaca. He then performed the operation of castration upon a 

 second by opening the ovary, and filling up the wound with 

 the scrapings of a black hat. The castrated Carp, being put 

 into water with six live ones, seemed somewhat less brisk as 

 to swimming than they. Then they were conveyed all together 

 into a basin of Sir Hans's garden, where the water is furnished 

 from the neighbouring river, and he believed they were 

 all alive when he wrote to M. Geoffroy. Mr. Toll, for that 

 is the name of the person, promised Sir Hans Sloane a taste 

 of such castrated fish the ensuing spring, assuring him that 

 they as much excel all others in delicacy of relish as a capon 

 does a cock, or a fat ox a bull. Mr. Tull has since castrated 

 many thousands of fish for several of our nobility, to their 

 entire satisfaction." 



The food of the Carp is occasionally worms and insects, and 

 it has even been known to devour small fishes, although 

 this is only recorded of young individuals, and under confine- 

 ment. A Carp between five and six inches in length was 

 seen by Mr. Gurney to devour three young Minnows, each 

 about an inch and a half in length, as they were confined 

 with it in the same tank. — "Zoologist," 1860. But its more 

 usual and preferable sustenance is vegetable; and for the 

 purpose of grinding this to a pulp it is provided with 

 appropriate pharyngeal bones, answering in some degree to 

 those which are found in the gullet of the Wrasses; and it 

 is, as we have seen, the opinion of Professor Owen that the 

 vegetable food is a second time subjected to their grinding 

 action, in the same manner as we have hazarded the opinion 

 that it is the case with the other family. From some 

 unaccountable variation of appetite, the endeavour to catch 

 this fish with angling is exceedingly uncertain; and in some 

 others of its habits it is believed to possess a large degree 

 of wisdom, as well in the manner by which it escapes from 



