282 PIKE AND OTHER COARSE FISH. 



believe, however, that it exists in some ponds in Surrey, and that 

 I have repeatedly caught it in a small piece of water on Putney 

 Heath, locally called ' Elgin's Pond.' Having no specimen of 

 the fish preserved, I would not state this as a positive fact, but 

 to the best of my memory, the fish I caught, which were either 

 Crucian or Prussian, resembled more the former than the latter. 

 They never much exceed a pound in weight. 



The Prussian carp is found in several counties in England 

 and probably exists in many others where it has not hitherto 

 been noticed. In their habitats and generally in their food, 

 spawning times, &c., the Prussian and Crucian carp resemble 

 the common carp. They are not bold biters, and though, per- 

 haps, not quite so difficult to catch as Cyprinus carpio, seldom 

 afford any great sport to the angler. The best bait for them is 

 a small well-scoured red-worm. 



The common carp, which is extraordinarily prolific, inso- 

 much that 600,000 eggs have been counted by Bloch in a single 

 specimen weighing 9 lbs., spawns generally towards the end of 

 May or beginning of June according to the temperature of the 

 water and the nature of the season. It is supposed to continue 

 spawning occasionally for four or five months, the eggs being 

 deposited upon weeds amongst which the female is followed by 

 several males, thus securing the impregnation of a very large 

 proportion of the eggs. It is in season for the table from 

 October to April. 



Although the carp is in its habitats more strictly a pond than 

 a river fish, it is not unfrequently found in running streams, 

 though, under these circumstances, it probably never reaches 

 the same size as in ponds and stagnant waters. 



The largest carp recorded as being taken in England does 

 not appear to have exceeded 22 lbs. It was taken in 1836 in 

 the county of Surrey, famed of old for its large carp, and was 

 exhibited by the late Mr. Yarrell at a meeting of the Zoological 

 Society. This carp was netted in a piece of water called the 

 Mere, at Penn's Hill, and in length was 30 in., having a girth 

 at the commencement of the dorsal fin of 24 in. This carp 



