THE GERMAN CARP IN THE UNITED STATES. 565 
ing, and the simile is not bad, for much of their food is obtained by 
rooting about in the mud. In soft muddy or marly bottoms one will 
often see numerous little pits and holes a few inches, or often more, 
in diameter, showing where the fish have been at work. In most of 
its feeding the carp works slowly and rather quietly, though persist- 
ently; but the rooting in the mud they often undertake in a more vig- 
orous manner, twisting and splashing, and tugging at the roots of 
water plants. It is this that makes the water so roily, and anyone 
familiar with their habits can tell at once the presence of carp when 
they are feeding in this manner simply by the appearance of the water. 
Moreover, the freshly dug up stems and leaves of cat-tails, sweet flag, 
wild celery, and other water plants are often to be seen floating about, 
furnishing further evidence of the destructive work going on below. 
The extent to which the character of the aquatic vegetation is changed 
in this way will be discussed later, when we come to consider the 
economic aspects of the question. The fish probably dig up these 
plants mostly for the tender shoots and rootlets, but they undoubtedly 
obtain many smaller organisms from the mud at the same time. The 
barbels at the sides of the mouth, which are well supplied with taste 
buds, are probably of much assistance in helping to ascertain the pres- 
ence of food particles in the mud. I have not been able to observe 
the process in natural surroundings, but judging from the actions of 
small carp kept in an aquarium, I should say that much of the mud is 
sucked into the mouth and further ‘‘ tested” for food by the more 
efficient” organs there; if satisfactory it is swallowed, if not it is 
rejected. The fish will often take into the mouth in the same way 
particles floating in the water, some of which will be swallowed and 
others rejected in a manner similar to that described by Herrick (1903, 
p. 265) in the sea robin (Prionotus carolinus). In respect to the dis- 
tribution of the organs of taste and the manner of feeding, carp would 
thus appear to be midway between such forms as the cat-fishes on the 
one hand, which have a well developed sense of taste over the entire 
body, and the sea robin on the other, in which taste is confined to the 
mouth. 
Carp do not, however, do all their feeding at the bottom by any 
means. Where the water is shallow and clear they may often be 
seen swimming slowly about, skimming floating particles of food 
from the surface or working industriously along the stems of the 
water plants. At the surface they probably get small floating plants, 
insects or their larvee, such as mosquitoes, May fiies (or ‘*.June bugs,” 
as they are popularly called along the lakes), ete., as well as the seeds 
of plants, and other substances which are dropped or blown into the 
a Herrick (1903, p. 267) says that ‘the delicacy of the sense of taste in the skin is directly propor- 
tional to the number of terminal buds in the areas in question.” In the carp these buds are 
especially well developed on the “ palate.” 
