CHAr. IX.] THE FOURTH DAY. 145 



this manner, except the Eel. And it has been observed, that 

 when the spawner has weakened herself by doing that natural 

 office, that two or three melters have helped her from off the weeds, 

 by bearing her up on both sides, and guarding her into the deep.* 

 And you may note, that though this may seem a curiosity not 

 worth observing, yet others have judged it worth their time and 

 costs to make glass hives, and order them in such a manner as to 

 see how bees have bred and made their honeycombs, and how 

 they have obeyed their king, and governed their commonwealth. 

 But it is thought that all Carps are not bred by generation ; but 

 that some breed other ways, as some Pikes do. 



The physicians make the galls and stones in the heads of Carps 

 to be very medicinable. But it is not to be doubted but that in 

 Italy they make great profit of the spawn of Carps, by selling it 

 to the Jews, who make it into red caviare ; the Jews not being 

 by their law admitted to eat of caviare made of the Sturgeon, that 

 being a fish that wants scedes, and, as may appear in Leviticus 

 xi., by them reputed to be unclean. 



Much more might be said out of him, and out of Aristotle, 

 which Dubravius often quotes in his " Discourse of Fishes : " but 

 it might rather perplex than satisfy you ; and therefore I shall 

 rather choose to direct you how to catch, than spend more time 

 in discoursing either of the nature or the breeding of this 

 Carp, or of any more, circumstances concerning him. But yet I 

 shall remember you of what I told you before, that he is a very 

 subtile fish, and hard to be caught. 



And my first direction is, that if you will fish for a Carp, you 

 must put on a very large measure of patience, especially to fish 

 for a river Carp : I have known a very good fisher angle diligently 

 four or six hours in a day, for three or four days together, for a 

 river Carp, and not have a bite. And you are to note, that, in 

 some ponds, it is as hard to catch a Carp as in a river ; that 

 is to say, where they have store of feed, and the water is of a 

 clayish colour. But you are to remember that I have told you 

 there is no rule without an exception; and therefore being possest 

 with that hope and patience which I wish to all fishers, especially 

 to the Carp-angler, I shall tell you with what bait to fish for him. 



younge frye afterwardes will shoote in thither as into a sanctuary from daunger of 

 devouringe. 



'' The carpe will not fatt where store of tenches be, ne get brede where store of roches 

 be, nor the tenche ever fatt where the carpe ysj because he will sucke the lenche without 

 measure." — Lansdowne MS. No. lor, art. g. 



* This account of the Carp is taken from Taverner*s Experiments on Fish, 410, iSoa 

 Vide p. 132, note. 



K 



