LXXXVI REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



0. The Carp (Cyprinus earpio). 



The work connected with the carp may be considered among the 

 most important of the operations of the Commission. The good results 

 have been manifested over the entire country and the demand for the 

 species is increasing year by year. The history of the fish is given in 

 ample detail up to date in previous reports, and it is sufficient here to 

 recall the fact that they are all produced in the city of Washington, for 

 the most part in the ponds at the foot of the Washington Monument, 

 though a portion are raised in the ponds near the Washington Arsenal, 

 the occupation of which has been sanctioned by the War Department. 

 The scale carp are cultivated exclusively at the Arsenal ponds, while 

 the mirror and leather varieties are reared in the Monument ponds. 



The area of the Arsenal ponds is about one-fourth of an acre ; that of 

 the Monument ponds is given in the accompanying foot-note.* 



The increasing dem'and for carp has made it necessary to extend the 

 facilities for raising them, and an arrangement was entered into for 

 making some new ponds along the line of Virginia avenue, which it is 

 hoped will be ready in time for service in 1884. 



The attention of the Commission has been attracted for some time to 

 a new race of carp known as the blue carp, which was supposed to be 



'Elevations. — Curves of elevation above mean high water are shown for differences 

 of 1 foot ; the heights are given in feet. 



Bench-mark. — The top of the brick wall at the southeast corner of the south wall 

 of the north gate chamber of west pond is 2.875 feet above mean high water of the 

 Potomac River, and was established by the city engineers. 



AREAS. 



Acres. 



East pond 6.437 



West pond (water surface, 6.642 acres ; two islands, 0.403 acre) 7. 045 



North pond 4.346 



South pond 1.500 



Pond No. 1 078 



Pond No. 2 086 



Pond No. 5 157 



Pond No. 6 J 178 



Remainder of island, including turtle pond, tanks, ponds Nos. 3 and 4 . . . . 576 



Total of north and south ponds combined, including the island between. 6. 921 



Ground between east pond and B street 2. 301 



Ground between east pond and Executive avenue 882 



Ground between north pond and B street 229 



Ground between north pond and Seventeenth street 349 



Ground between north pond and Executive avenue .. . 280 



Ground between west pond and Executive avenue 2. 354 



Ground between west pond and Potomac River 219 



Ground between west pond and Seventeenth street 160 



Seventeenth street from B street to Potomac River 2. 989 



Yirginia avenue, as inclosed 2. 438 



Grand total 30.604 



