﻿LX 
  

  

  species. 
  In 
  order 
  to 
  familiarize 
  our 
  citizens 
  with 
  this 
  fisli 
  — 
  

   which 
  is 
  ahnost 
  unknown 
  in 
  this 
  country 
  — 
  and 
  enable 
  them 
  

   to 
  appreciate 
  its 
  full 
  value, 
  we 
  give 
  a 
  detailed 
  description 
  of 
  it, 
  

   and 
  a 
  cut 
  representing 
  a 
  Heather-carp.'''' 
  We 
  are 
  indebted 
  to 
  the 
  

   American 
  Agriculturalist, 
  whose 
  editor 
  was 
  furnished 
  with 
  a 
  

   drawing 
  of 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  leather 
  carp 
  from 
  our 
  IS'ational 
  Ponds. 
  

   The 
  electrotype 
  is 
  a 
  reproduction 
  from 
  the 
  illustration 
  given 
  

   in 
  the 
  January 
  number 
  of 
  that 
  periodical. 
  The 
  carp 
  has 
  

   been 
  known 
  for 
  centuries 
  in 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  countries 
  of 
  Europe, 
  

   but 
  has 
  been 
  chiefly 
  cultivated 
  in 
  Germany 
  and 
  Austria. 
  

   In 
  England 
  and 
  France, 
  although 
  well 
  known, 
  it 
  has 
  not 
  been 
  

   bred 
  with 
  the 
  care 
  bestowed 
  in 
  the 
  last 
  mentioned 
  countries, 
  

   where 
  it 
  has 
  attained 
  considerable 
  excellence, 
  and 
  where 
  sev- 
  

   eral 
  varieties 
  of 
  it 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  found, 
  viz: 
  the 
  scale-carp^ 
  which 
  

   strongly 
  resembles 
  the 
  original 
  form, 
  imported 
  from 
  Asia 
  cen- 
  

   turies 
  ago; 
  the 
  mirror-carp, 
  which 
  is 
  almost 
  destitute 
  of 
  scales, 
  

   and 
  the 
  Leather-carp, 
  which 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  esteemed 
  of 
  the 
  three 
  

   varieties. 
  It 
  will 
  be 
  observed, 
  see 
  the 
  accompanying 
  engrav- 
  

   ing, 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  almost 
  entirely 
  devoid 
  of 
  scales, 
  having 
  only 
  

   one 
  row 
  in 
  the 
  dorsal 
  region, 
  and 
  a 
  few 
  near 
  the 
  fins. 
  We 
  

   have 
  bestowed 
  much 
  care 
  upon 
  the 
  carp, 
  deeming 
  its 
  intro- 
  

   duction 
  into 
  Maryland 
  waters 
  of 
  great 
  importance, 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  

   easily 
  propagated, 
  very 
  prolific, 
  a 
  vegetable 
  feeder, 
  and 
  capa- 
  

   ble 
  of 
  living 
  in 
  water 
  subject 
  to 
  extreme 
  elevations 
  of 
  temper- 
  

   ature. 
  We 
  believe 
  it 
  to 
  be 
  peculiarly 
  adapted 
  to 
  the 
  eastern 
  

   and 
  southern 
  portions 
  of 
  the 
  State. 
  

  

  The 
  fact 
  of 
  its 
  being 
  a 
  vegetable 
  feeder 
  is 
  an 
  important 
  

   point 
  in 
  its 
  favor, 
  as 
  such 
  fish 
  can 
  exist 
  and 
  thrive 
  in 
  water 
  in 
  

   which 
  carnivorous 
  fish 
  would 
  perish 
  for 
  lack 
  of 
  food. 
  It 
  has 
  

   been 
  noticed 
  in 
  the 
  National 
  Ponds 
  at 
  AVashington 
  that 
  the 
  

   fish 
  feed 
  voraciously 
  and 
  grow 
  fat 
  on 
  the 
  alga, 
  commonly 
  

   called 
  frogs-spittle, 
  which 
  is 
  found, 
  in 
  abundance, 
  in 
  still, 
  or 
  

   partially 
  stagnant, 
  waters. 
  It 
  also 
  feeds 
  on 
  the 
  worms, 
  and 
  

   the 
  insects, 
  larvce. 
  which 
  they 
  obtain 
  by 
  rooting 
  in 
  the 
  mud. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  said 
  that 
  in 
  Europe 
  large 
  numbers 
  are 
  raised 
  on 
  the 
  

   refuse 
  matter 
  from 
  kitchens, 
  slaughter 
  houses 
  and 
  breweries. 
  

   We 
  have 
  mentioned 
  the 
  capacity 
  of 
  this 
  fish 
  to 
  survive 
  ex- 
  

   treme 
  elevations 
  of 
  temperature, 
  and 
  to 
  thrive 
  in 
  stagnant 
  

  

  