THE GERMAN CARP IN THE UNITED STATES. 635 
and that that one fish was of more value than the two carp which have 
taken its place. This is especially true of such waters as the Great 
Lakes, and others that were well supplied with good native fish. 
Furthermore, the sportsmen and others claim that in various ways the 
carp does more than enough damage to offset its value in other respects. 
By these persons it is made responsible especially for the great 
decrease of water-fowl in recent years. These and other charges 
have been considered in the body of the report, and need not be dis- 
cussed in detail here. In most cases the reported damage has been either 
greatly exaggerated or is entirely unfounded. Thus it was found 
that carp probably have little or no share in causing the decrease of 
the native fishes commonly taken for sport or for food; and that in 
the case of the black bass, at least, there is evidence indicating just 
the opposite—that the bass have actually increased in numbers in 
some places from having the young carp to feed upon. In the matter 
of uprooting vegetation, making the water continually roily, and 
injuring—possibly even completely destroying in some cases—the 
regular feeding grounds of the migrating ducks—in these cases the 
evidence goes very largely against the carp, though its effects have 
undoubtedly, in many instances, been greatly exaggerated, and more 
has been charged against the fish than it rightfully deserves. In cer- 
tain places, such as reservoirs and lakes supplying water to cities, etc., 
there is no doubt that the carp is an unmitigated nuisance, and that 
its presence is undesirable. Nor can it be considered suitable for the 
cold, clear lakes of the north, such as are found in northern Wiscon- 
sin and in Canada; and fortunately the conditions in these are so 
unfavorable that it will probably never become so abundant in them 
as to cause much damage by destroying vegetation and roiling the 
waters. : 
Against these charges as to its detrimental influence must be set the 
things in its favor. Chief among these is that already mentioned— 
the value of the carp as a source of revenue to the fishermen in the 
regions where it occurs, and as a cheap food for the poorer class of peo- 
ple who can not afford a better fish. It is impossible to express in 
dollars and cents the beneficial results and the damage done and thus 
to compare them directly. The value of the carp fisheries of Lake 
Erie and the [linois River region for 1901 was estimated at $342,000 
(p. 619, footnote); but there were no data for the rest of the United 
States. And no monetary value at all can be fixed for the damage 
done. It seems quite safe to say, however, that if the question were 
to be considered in this manner the benefits would far surpass the 
damage. Two other claims in the carp’s behalf, which may prove to be 
of considerable importance, ought also to be mentioned. These are its 
destruction of the fluke-worm (/sciola hepatica), and of the larvee of 
noxious insects, especially mosquitoes. It is possible also that in 
