360 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



swimming near the surface only the black backs and paler snouts of 

 the Bream are seen and the great depth of body is not appreciated. 



The Common Caep (Cyprinus carpio). — This fish is at least not 

 plentiful in the parts of the Mole which I frequent. I have never 

 seen a specimen at Dorking, though John Timb, who wrote in 1822, 

 refers to the ' Red Lion Inn ' in the High Street of that town as "a 

 noted house for Water-soncey, Carp, and Perch, which were here 

 served up in great perfection during the season." * On June 17th, 

 1912, I captured my only Carp from the Mole at Gatwick, in 

 moderately shallow water, and where the stream is little wider than 

 a brook ; other fish were not feeding. The same circumstances were 

 reported elsewhere : — "June 16th was remarkable for some curious 

 angling happenings. For instance, although a heavy thunderstorm 

 threatened for most of the day, Carp were feeding well in the hard- 

 fished Hampstead Ponds, and many a youthful Waltonian there 

 caught the fish of his life up to that time." t Similar reports were 

 received from other parts of the country on those days, a curious and 

 unexplained episode in the habits of this fish. — W. L. Distant. 



;: ' A Picturesque Promenade round Dorking, iu Surrey,' p. 77. 

 f ' The Fishing Gazette,' July 6th, 1912. 



