THE CARP 



119 



mined in their eiForts to overcome them ; leaping, it is 

 affirmed, after the fashion of the sahnon, five or six feet 

 in height, in order to accomplish their purpose. 



The carp multiplies prodigiously. A fish of half a 

 pound in weight has been found, on examination, to 

 contain 270,000 eggs ; one of a pound and a half weight, 

 342,000 ; and one of nine pounds, the enormous number 

 of 621,000 eggs. 



The carp are very tenacious of life. Many anecdotes 

 illustrative of this fact are on record. Indeed, in 

 France, it is no uncommon thing to transport them 

 to great distances from one lake or river to another, 

 wrapping them in fresh grass, and dipping them -every 

 twenty-four hours of the journey into fresh water for 

 a few minutes to recruit their strength. In this manner 

 they are made to perform long journeys with compara- 

 tive security, and scarcely any risk of loss. 



Carp are subject to many diseases. "We have seen 

 them often covered with spots like the smallpox ; and 

 some of the large old ones are frequently nearly white, 

 as if infected with a kind of leprous disorder. 



The flesh of the carp is soft, luscious, well-flavoured, 

 and nourishing. In Prussia, the head is preferred, on 

 account of its excellent flavour. The intestines are 

 likewise esteemed delicacies when eaten with pepper, 

 ginger, and salt. In fact, the carp is an excellent fish 

 when properly cooked ; for accomplishing which, almost 

 any cookery-hook will furnish a tolerable recipe. The 

 soft-roed fish are much sought after by professed 

 epicures as a delicate dish ; and, indeed, some writers 

 attribute to them the property of restoring consumptive 

 persons to perfect health. 



The older physicians dabbled with the carp, as well 

 as with most other fish. His fat has been used as 

 a mollifying unguent to soothe the nerves when 

 suffering under what is termed "hot rheumatism." 

 His gall has been applied as a liniment for sore^eyes. 

 A small triangular stone, supposed to be discernible in 

 the jaws of the carp, is said to act as a styptic when 

 ground to a fine powder, and has been found efficacious 



