62 SUCKERS, CARP, AND MINNOWS 



Between the years 1877 and 1885 the streams of very 

 nearly the whole Pacific coast of the United States were 

 stocked with Carp. At first they were placed in ponds, but 

 through "moving accident, by flood and field," they reached 

 the rivers, and impregnated them and all their tributaries. 

 At first they were highly esteemed, and sometimes greatly 

 overpraised. It was claimed that they were hardy, prolific, 

 harmless to other fishes, rapid in growth, persistent under 

 adverse conditions and acceptable , on the table. Beyond 

 question, under certain conditions nearly all these claims are 

 justified by the facts! 



But when the novelty wore off the Carp, the cold-blooded 

 critic began to say things. By him it was pointed out that 

 Carp stir up the mud in all mud-bottomed ponds inhabited 

 by them, and keep the water murky. This is quite true; and 

 to keep the mud-loving Carp from perpetually soiling and 

 disfiguring the once clear and beautiful waters of the Merced 

 Lakes, in California, first sea-lions, and then muskallunge, 

 were introduced to exterminate the Carp. 



In California the Carp is now ranked with the intro- 

 duced catfish, as an unwelcome guest. It is claimed that 

 Carp consume to a serious extent the wild celery and grasses 

 on which wild ducks feed, and the duck supply is diminished 

 .thereby; but this charge remains to be proven. The chances 

 are as ninety-nine to one that the choke-bore shotgun is 

 the real and the only cause of the decrease in wild ducks. 



It is also claimed that Carp eat the eggs of other fishes; 

 which is extremely probable, for very many fishes do that. 



Whatever may be said for or against the desirability of 



