242 NOTES ON FISH AND FISHING. 



are easily able to crush them, as they have by that time 

 become softened by the water. I know, or rather did 

 know, about ten years ago, a large white carp in the lake 

 at Brocket Hall, in Hertfordshire. He was about 1 2 lbs. 

 in weight, and could generally be seen swimming near 

 the surface of the water by the bridge which crosses the 

 lake. I dare say he could " score a century," or there- 

 abouts ; and probably in this country there are many cen- 

 tenarian carp, notwithstanding the irresistible temptation 

 to drag all ponds and lakes which are supposed to hold 

 big fish. The size which carp will attain varies with the 

 water they inhabit, the food they get, and other circum- 

 stances. In some of the German lakes they reach from 

 40 lbs. to 50 lbs., and even more. In Holland 20-pounders 

 are not uncommon, a specimen of one of which I have 

 often noticed in a case, roughly stuffed, at a fishmonger's 

 shop in Leadenhall Market. In France, perhaps, the 

 extreme limit would be the weight just mentioned. In 

 this country a fish of 1 2 lbs. would be considered a monster, 

 but doubtless there are some of this weight, and even 

 heavier, in Virginia Water, and in many private waters. 

 But a fish of anything like 12 lbs. is seldom taken with rod 

 and line. A 5 lb. carp is a veritable prize to an angler, 

 and when he takes one over this weight he may consider 

 himself one in a thousand. The engraving at the head of 

 this Note was cut from the photograph of a picture of a 

 famous carp taken by net out of Harting Great Pond, near 

 Petersfield, in 1858. The photograph was kindly sent to 

 me by Mr. Weaver, at the suggestion of a mutual friend, 

 Mr. Orossley. The length of this grand fish was 34 in., 

 not reckoning the tail fin. His weight was 24£ lbs. Some 

 of his scales were tho size of half-crowns. It will bo 



