Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1858-06-03


permit Inc to stir them around without
showing the least fear. They are very
tenacious OF life, and live a long time out
Of the water. have crossed them with
the gold fish, or Chinese carp, and produced
variety of colors. AS soon as the ice
forms in the fall, they disappear in the mud,
and as they are not afterwards seen, prob
ably remain dormant in our cold climate all
winter
In Prussia, Germany and Saxony, carp
are cultivated with great attention, and
constitute part of the revenue Of the no
bility. There is no reason why they might
not be made profitable here. Fish are like
hens, in one respect, that is, they never
deposite all their spawn at one time, but
at several periods, weeks often intervening
according to its maturity
TnE GOLD FISH, (Cygriaas 1uratus)
OR GOLDEN CARP, are the most beautiful
and interesting fish in my waters, where
they are only kept as ornaments, as they
are not celebrated for their qualities as food
The extreme elegance of their form and
scaly dress, and the agility and grace with
which they move through their native ele-
ment, cause them to be ranked among the
most charming pets. They are always the
first on hand at the ringing of the bell, and
are even more gentle and confding than
the carp. l have noticed that by proper
diet | can increase the intensity Of their
color, change their external characteristics,
improve the rotundity Of their form and
add much to their size and what is more
surprising than all, those characters be-
come hereditary in their offspring.
The Sun FISH are known as the Amer
lean Carp, though they Will not intcrmingle
with either of the other varieties, European
or Chinese, which they much resemble in
habits with one exception, and that is they
build nests in the gravel to deposit their
ova, on which they watch with unccasing
vigilance, and cannot be induced to leave
even for food when the other fish are eat
ing bread in their immediate vicinity, they
appear to be unconscious of the fact, and
chase them if they happen to come too
near their sacred charge, showing every
indication of extreme anger, by distending
their Gill covers, elcyating their fins, &c.
THE PIKE ESoJ LuciuS II have large
pond devoted to this fish, in which they
abound to so great an extent, that | might
supply halfa-dozen families the year round
from it. They are the most notoriously
voracious fish in our fresh water ponds, and
will dcyour young ducks, geese, rats, ser
pents and frogs; they have an amazing num-
Der of teeth, which they use in a scientific
manner These terocious fish have become
with me as docile as dogs, and will assem-
bic in numbers, when the small fry are fed
to seize upon them, which they accomplish
in mastery style. Some naturaEsts de-
clare that this fish is of a spontaneous gene
ration, deriving It's origin from aweed known
as the pickerel weed, and that pickerel are
only found where this weed is known to
exist. The fact probably is, that the weed
as we'll as the pickorel spawn attached to
it, are carried from pond to pond by the
heron, or some fish hawk, attached acciden-
tally to their legs, or eaten as food and
elected.
| have studied their habits with great
interest, and find they retire in pairs, about
the 1st of April, and after swimming to-
gether, without touching each other, for a
day or so, the female deposits her spawn
in shallow places, upon aquatic grass, and
the male following, fecundates them with
milt, which he deposits over them; after
having completed this interesting opera
ton, they pass on and give themselves no
solicitude as to the future result OF their
labors, but when the small fry make their
! appearance, the parents ueFoui ChCln WIN
great gour aud apparent satisfaction l
have known pickerel to swallow partially
a fish too large for his throat and to carry
it thus in his mouth, until the portion
swallowed was digested; he will likewise
eat poisonous substances without injury tt
himself, having within him some antidote
with which to counteract its evil effects
They never swim in schools as many othel
fish do, but keep aloof from each other ant
like to be solitary and alone; they are no
easily alarmed, and will never run IRON
shadow, as most fish invariably will the,