THE CARP OR TENCH 



153 



The carp generally feeds on worms and water insects, and 

 are very tenacious of life, having been known to live a great 

 length of time out of water. As an instance of this, it is re- 

 lated that they have in Holland a way of fattening them, by 

 hanging them up in a net in a damp cellar, and feeding them 

 with bread and milk. They are then placed in wet moss, 

 and moistened twice a day ; and by which method they grow 

 very large, and increase in flavor. 



Hofland gives the following instance of their tenacity of 

 life, through a Mr. Hilditch, who painted the full length por- 

 traits of a carp and tench. " He kept these fish in a tub for 

 a week, taking them out alternately in the morning at ten 

 o'clock, to paint from, and putting them into water again at 

 four, during six days ; and I may add, that his amiable sister 

 pleaded so well for the lives of these two fish, who had seen 

 so much land service, that Mr. Hilditch took them down from 

 Ludgate-Hill to Black-Friar's-Bridge, when, to use his own 

 words, ' they swam away fresh and lively.' " 



They are said to spawn several times in the course of a 

 year, but their time or times of spawning depends much on 

 the state of the weather and the temperature of the water. 

 The time when they are known to spawn, is in the months 

 of May or June. 



They are found near the bottom of muddy streams and 

 ponds, and choose to lie under and near the weeds, plants, 

 and water lilies. When old, they are like the trout, shy and 

 crafty, and sometimes, where they are scarce, require all the 

 skill of the most finished Angler in taking them. In large 

 ponds, however, where they are found in abundance, they 

 are often very tame, and are known in some instances in Ger- 

 many, to be called to feed by the ringing of a bell. 



Hofland says: " Even large carp become very tame in 

 ponds where they are regularly fed ; for Mr. Jesse says of 



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