Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-10-04
FISHES And THEIR FOES. 1qI II
Curious Facts from the Bulletins Of
the Fish Commission.

FISHES AND THElH kOESs u IL
Curious Facts from the Bulletins Of
the Fish Commission.
PLANT THAT EATS FISHEs-sNAKEs AND MUSK
RATS DESTRUCTIVE OF CARP-THE VITALITY OF
THE CARP OUT OF WATER, &C.
TIE recently issued bulletins Of the United
States fish commission contain much interesting
matter concerning the habits of fish and Of the
enemies Of fish. A paper by G. E. Simms, jr,
describes novel and unexpected enemy to the
piscculturist, discovered among the weeds
placed In his aquarium, in shape of fish-eating
plant. MY attention was first drawn to it."
Mr. Simms says. "by observing that several of
the tiny fish. without any apparent cause, were
lying dead on the weeds, while the rest Of the
brood looked perfectly healthy and in good con-
ditiOn. At first was somewhat puzzled at the
strange position in which they were lying and
in trying to move one with a small twig was
still more surprised to find il was held fast bv
the head. in what thought, when pulled the
plant from the water. were the seed vessels;
and a still closer examination revealed the
strange fact that others of the little fish had
been trapped by the tail, and in one or two in
stances the head and tail of the same fish had
been swallowed by adjacent bladders thus form
ing with its body connecting bar between the
two"
This is plant known to botanists as ut,icn-
tdrtd Uutgd1iS. peculiar fact in connection with
it is that it has roots at any time of its life
and the floating. root-like branches which are
covered with numerous. capillary and much
divided leaves are lnterspersed with tiny green
Vesieles. which were supposed by former
school OF botanists to be filed with water by
which means the plant was kept at the bottom
until the time of Towering, when the water
gave place to air, and the plant then rose to the
surface to allow its bloom to expand As a
matter OF TACT, these Vesicles exercised no such
function. their real work being to entrap min
ute crustaceans. worms. Larvae. &C.. for it's sup
port. and without good supply of which it is
impossible to keep it alive in an aquarium.
SNAKES DESTRUCTIVE To CARP.
Snakes and muskrats appear to be chief
among the enemies of the carp. Reports made
by Rud. Hessel, superintendent of the United
States carp ponds. during August and Septem-
Der. 1888, are quoted to show the destruction of
young carp by snakes. In this report Mr.. Hes
sci says: During the past few days a great
many snakes have appeared at the ponds. MANY
Of which have been killed as follows: August
4, 10; August D, 81: August q. 80; August Z 81:
August s. ~; August 9. a. August TO- 10:
August IL. 81 This makes 221 snakes killed
in one week.
In the smaller snakes i found from to Is
young carp. and in the larger ones sometimes
over %, besides undigested skeletons OF fish.
Ihey contained no frogs or tadpoles. We can,
YOURS 40 young carp per day. for they digest very
quickly. That would make for 225 snakes GOO
carp per day. and 63. 600 per week That num-
Der is correct, and it shows that snakes are
more Injurious than cranes, herons and other
birds l Kill them by shooting. oftentmes see
ing only small part of the head in the water
or hiding beneath water-plants | have had
opportunity TO see how they catch the Young
hsh, and how they devour them. An old wall
constitutes their best hiding place. ! often
them in ba +bo clJ
the mead looking outside, watching the poor
little 1ishes.'
THE MUSKRAT AS A FISH EATER.
paper by Dr.C. Hart Merriam on '.the musk
rat as fish eater" says: AT q meeting of the
biological Society of Washington. held in the
National Museum December Il, 1883, Mr.
Henry ". Elliott spoke of the appetite of the
Muskrat-" He stated that in certain PARTS of
ONO the muskTat did great injury to carp
ponds, not only By pertOrating the banks aud
dams and thus letting of the water but also
by actually capturing and devouring the carp,
which is sluggish FISH, often remaining mo-
tiOnless. half buried in the mud In the discus
sion that followed DR.. Mason Graham EllZey said
that from bOyboCd he had been familiar with the
TACT that the muskrats sometimes eat fish In fact
be had seen muskrats in the act OF devourinr
Ish That had recently been caught and left upon
TIE bank The president. Dr.. Chas a White.
narrated a similar experience
On the It'll OF February 1854 brought this
SUBJECT to the notice OF the Linn9an society Of
New ork. and asked if any OF the members
knew the mushrat To be a fish eater Dr. Edgar
y. MeaTns said that he had hong been familiar
with the fact and that it was no uncommon thing
10 see muskrat muncing dead fish upon the
borders OF the salt marshes along the Hudson
tie had shot them while SO engaged"
VITALITY OF CARP DEPRIVED OF WATER.
In letter dated Charlottesville, Va. March
Is. 1884, Mr.. r. T. W. Duke writes go On Sat-
urday evening l caught ecih hook carp
which would weigh about four pounds. put
it in nay bath-tub illed with water YESTERDAY,
about o'clock a. m. put the carp in small
box. surrounding it with wet moss, and for
Warded TO LyHchburg by express. 1t reached
there about p. H.. and learn this morning
from my friend to whom it was sent that when
taken out and placed in a tue it was as lively
as could be. We ate a small carp SUNDAY NOM
ing and thought it very good"
METHOD OF DESTROYING NOxr0rs FISHES.
The method frequently adopted by fish-cul-
turists to destroy noyious fishes is to introduce
quickliIae into the pond This for q time exerts
2 very destructive influence, but before long
becomes inert by shaking and forming harm
less combination. II the water Is drawn off
after imAG, OF course il would be very much
better, and at the end OF 4 week carp or any
ether fish could be introduced DR.. Rud Hes
sci. superintendent of the carp ponds. said
November %. SS3:-" Some tour hundred cells
Rave been killed during the last eight DAYS in
the east pond aud there are still more. One
barrel OF lime is required to eItermnate them"