GILL] THE FAMILY OF CYPRINIDS 207 
of feeding, the fishes of the year will weigh a pound or more; 
recommencing with nearly that werght the next spring, at the end 
of the second summer they will weigh three pounds, more or less. 
In the spring of the third year they will be prepared to do their 
share in the perpetuation of the race. They continue to grow 
almost indefinitely and it has been claimed that a weight of a hun- 
dred pounds and an age of a hundred and fifty years have been 
attained, but fifty pounds is almost a maximum weight and ex- 
tremely rarely realized. 
According to some authors, especially Hessel, “ some time before 
the spawning season sets in, the falling out of the pharyngeal teeth 
takes place” and “these grow anew every year.” If such is the 
case, confirmation is required and details are needed; alcoholic 
specimens appear to contradict the claim. 
Not all carp develop the sexual organs. “ Sterile carp are not 
uncommon, and have always been highly esteemed for their fat, deli- 
cate flesh. An English fisherman of the name of Tull discovered 
a method of castrating carp in order to fatten them with better 
success.” The method of castration was detailed in “ An Account 
of Mr. Samuel Tull’s Method of Castrating Fish,” by W. Watson, 
in an article in the “ Philosophical Transactions ” for 1754 (XLVIII, 
870-874). Tull castrated “both the male and female fish” and 
thought that ‘ when fishes have spawned a few weeks, they are fit 
for the operation.” Carp culturists do not appear to have availed 
themselves of this method of improving the flesh. 
The carp, at the present day is, with one exception, the most 
widely distributed of the family and its name the most generally 
diffused. The latter occurs with slight variants among all the 
Latin and Teutonic and even Slavonic nations; it is represented 
among the French by Carpe, the Dutch by Karper, the Germans by 
Karpfe, and the Russians by Carpa. These seem to be derivatives 
of a southeast European word and the earliest reference to it occurs 
in Cassiodorus, who wrote about 575; he refers to it as a fish of the 
Danube (“ destinet carpam Danubius’’). 
The carp is by far the most important of the Cyprinids and its 
range has been extended much beyond its natural habitat by the 
favor or industry of man. This extension commenced early and it 
was planted in many European waters at various times. It has been 
supposed that its introduction into England was effected after the 
discovery of America. Many may remember that father Walton 
(1653) wrote that “there doubtless was a time about a hundred 
or a few more years ago, when there were no Carps in England, 
