The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1883-08-11
A NATURAL Fish PoND-HABrTs OF
THE CARP.

| Cecil Deaocrai.
On the farm Of James McIntire, on
the road leading from Elkton to Glas.
| gov, is a small pond of water which is
ordinarily not more than twenty feet in
diameter and probably about two feet
deep. II has no apparent inlet or out
let, and is undoubtedly fed by the rain
falls in rich profusion upon the just and
the unjust, for in 4 dry season the
water all cvaporates, and the natural
depression, which under other circum-
stances holds the water, becomes dry.
The pond is one Of 4 large number
which are scattered over the southern
part of the Welch Tract and prevail in
many other parts Of the country contig-
uous TO il, the existence of which arc
hard to account for. The depressions
seem to be found in earth which at
one time was nothing more than black
mud and which, owing to the applica.
tion Of some peculiar power contained
in natures laboratory, has became
hard and though and entirely imper-
vious TO water, while all the other
earth in the vicinity is quite porous
and will hold water no better than 4
riddle. But we started to write, not
of the peculiarities of these ponds in
particular, but Of 4 popularity OF
the one in Mr.. McIntire's field
This pond, small as il is and strange as
ii may appear, nearly always when the
. ,s, lae ..f
fish, cat fish and probably several other
kinds Of fishes, some of which attain
considerable size, indicating that they
must be several years old.
Occasionally when 4 dry season oc-
ours and the water all cvaporates the
fish all die, but in year or two after
wards when the pond has been replcn-
iShcd by i generous rain fall other
fishes appear and restore the pond only
10 disappear like their predecessors.
Our attention was called TO this pond
several years ago. and ai that time il
contained quite large number of fish,
all of which subsequently disappeared,
owing TO the drought which has since
prevailed. AT present il is well stock
ed. There are other and larger ponds
in the neighborhood, but so far as known
the Others contain no fish.
1t has long been source of wonder.
ment where these fish came from and
how they got into the pond, and, mas.
much as the pond is frequented by a
number of aquatic birds, Mr.. McIntire
has come to the conclusion that the
fish have been hatched from eggs brought
there by them. This theory seems
plausible, and readily accounts for the
appearance OF the fish, but it seems
hard TO understand why the birds don't
gobble all the young fishes up and eat
them before they attain half the size
OF those in the pond At the presen;
time.
While speaking Of fish, We may as
well call the attention of the owners OF
carp ponds TO 4 habit of those fish
which so far Is We have been advised is
peculiar to them. During the intense
ly cold weather of winter they bury
themselves in the mud, and remain in
dormant condition until the genial
warmth of spring time revivcs their
energies and call them forth from their
homes in the mud at the bottom OF the
ponds. One would very naturally sup
pose that after this experience they
would be glad to show themselves, and
would like 10 sport in the sunshine
near the surface of the water, but il is
not so. The carp seems to be sullen
and morose fish. and instead Of sport
ing in the sunshine he delights in root
ing in the mud like the pig that he is,
for the double purpose of stuffing him.
self with the animal food he finds there
and making the water so muddy that
the sunlight cannot penetrate it and no
person can see him. In this way he
amuses and conceals himself the whole
year except about six weeks from the
middle of July till the last OF August.
The story told by one Of our cotempo-
rar;es and copied by several others
about the carp in the fish pond OF
Westcott Lowell being miraculously
preserved by taking refuge in the mud
when the water nearly all run out Of
the pond through leak in the dam, is
not at ali strange or wonderful to those
who are acquainted with the habits OF
those fish, which were only obeying an
instinct peculiar TO themselves, and
would have been found just where they
were il the usual quantity OF water had
remained in the pond.