FISHES. 117 



large flower-pot saucer. It will save trouble if this arrange- 

 ment is carried out close to a pump. If the sipkon is small, 

 and the tub large, the water will run for a long time without 

 attention. The saucer should have a small hole bored just 

 below the rim, to allow for the escape of water, and the top 

 of the saucer ought to be covered with perforated zinc or 

 wire netting to keep the fish from jumping out. The fish 

 should be kept and fed in the running water until all traces 

 of the fimgus have disappeared. Pish may be also cured of 

 this disease by being dipped, as is explained in another 

 place, in salt water. When tanks are properly looked after, 

 there is not much danger .of the appearance of this mould, 

 which is so often a source of great annoyance and loss to 

 aquarium-keepers. 



It is supposed that Carp were introduced into this country 

 by German monks about the middle of the fifteenth century, 

 and now there are very few old-established ponds in England in 

 which they may not be found. During the greater part of 

 the winter these fish, when at liberty, eat Uttle or nothing, 

 and retire as close as they can to the mud of the water in 

 which they live, or get into some cave-like hoUows in the 

 bank, or under weeds or roots of trees. They continue this 

 practice, to a certain extent, even in the aquarium, with- 

 drawing themselves as much as possible from sight, and 

 hardly touching any food. The Carp grows larger and 

 increases more quickly in stagnant than in running water. 

 It commences to breed when about three years old, and the 

 number of eggs deposited by each female fish depends 

 generally upon its size. A Carp weighing 201b. has been 

 known to contain more than a million eggs. The ova are 

 affixed to water-plants and the like during the latter part of 

 May and the three or four following months. 



In a state of nature the Common Carp feeds upon water- 

 plants, larvae of insects, insects and worms, but in confine- 

 ment it may be fed upon crushed vermicelli, and on this 

 food it will apparently live quite contentedly. This fish 

 grows, under favourable circumstances, to a great size, 

 occasionally reaching more than 201b. in weight, and more 



