Garman.l 
168 
[Jan. 16, 
John H. Whitcomb, Esq., by Mr. Edwin L. White of Ayer. The 
pieces were handed to me for identification. They proved beyond 
question to have been taken from a carp, Cyprinus carpio L., prob- 
ably var. rex cyprmorum. This notice is given to the matter be- 
cause the occurrence and the size of the fish make it worth } 7 the 
attention of those interested in our fisheries and in the success of 
the efforts of the Fish Commissioners in stocking our waters ; and, 
besides, making the case public may call out other notices, contrib- 
uting to a knowledge of the condition and abundance of the intro- 
duced fishes. The letter is as follows : — 
Ayer, Mass., Nov. 8, 1888. 
Dear Sir : — 
I enclose in the box which accompanies this note, the 
remains of the monster fish which was shot in Kilburn’s pond, in the east- 
ern part of Shirley, on the Mulpus brook, by Calvin L. Farnsworth, about 
September third of this year. The fish measured thirty-one inches from 
the end of the nose to the end of the tail, measuring over the back ; and it 
was twenty-five and a half inches long on a board as it lay flat. Its body 
was ten inches wide and five inches thick ; when the fins on back and belly 
were spread out it was sixteen inches from the top of one to bottom of 
the other. It weighed sixteen and a half pounds when taken from the 
water. I did not see it weighed, but lifted it afterward. So many saw it 
on the scales there is no doubt the weight given is correct. It was truly 
a monster. I supposed it to be a small-mouth Black Bass, but an enor- 
mous one for these waters. The tail, which I enclose, would spread eleven 
inches ; in drying it has shrunk some. The scales, some of which are in the 
box, were fully two inches broad by one and a quarter inches long. The 
ribs in the section I had for dinner were five and a half inches long or even 
longer. It seems too bad others did not see this fish. I never have heard 
of one of the kind nearly as large. I marked out by the piece that I had, 
the shape and size, as you will see, on the paper. The little jagged bone 
rolled up in white paper was in front of the back fin. I do not think of 
anything else of interest regarding this fish. When I found so many were 
interested I tried to get more of it, but was too late. This specimen had 
lots of spawn in it. The pond is a small one, and has not been drawn off 
for thirty years. But for one low dam the fish could have gone up stream 
about three miles. Gates at that dam have been open months at a time. 
Yours truly, 
Edwin L. White. 
A dam below the pond is said to prevent access from that direc- 
tion. Recognizing the fish at once, I wrote Mr. White for permis- 
sion to use the contents of his letter, and also for any further in- 
formation # he might be able to add that would be at all likely to 
throw light on the history of the specimen. In response he has 
