The evening times., 1899-10-17
THE ACROBATIC CARP.
a Cover Necessary TO Keep 1t in It's
Tank.
CFrom the New York Sun. }

(FroTn the New York SUM-
The carp would probably not commonly
be looked upon as a jumper, but rather as
dull and lazy FISH more inclined 10 stay
at the bottom, but for all that, the carp
can Jump There is a carp at the Aqua
rum in this city that has twice jumped out
of its tank. This is a mirror carp. about
two feet in length and weighing four or
five pounds, that was taken, with a smaller
mirror carp, about a year ago, from the
lake in Prospect Park. The two were
placed in a tank on the gallery tier, fresh
water side. The smaller of the two was
quite comfortable in the tank, the larger
one inclined to be restless. Over each o,
the tanks on this tier there is a screen of
galvanized iron wire, with mesh about
like that of ceal sitter, and with an iron
rod an eighth of an inch or more in diam
eter running around the border 10 kesp the
screen in form. The water On this tier OF
tanks comes up TO within eight or ten
inches of the screens. The screens keep
rats from getting at the fishes in the tank.
and are supposed to keep the fishes from
jumping out. But the screen over the mir
ror carp tank wasn't heavy enough to keep
the big carp in. That solid and vigorous
fish jumped up one day with sufficient
force TO raise the heavy wire screen high
enough to permit it to pass under it, over
the edge of the tank, to fall on the floor
outside.
In the experience the carp lost out of the
upper lobe of its tail fin section that
made in it a right-angle notch whose sides
were about an inch in length. This piece
out of its tail it is supposed to have lost
when it went over the side of the tank,
by the screen dropping down on it; the
heavy screen happened to come down on
it in the brief instant Of time while it was
over the edge of theitank, at Just the right
time and in just the right way to nick
that notch out of it. 1t is interesting to
note that this notch has bagun to fill Up
with new growth.
Back in the tank-the smaller one all the
time remaining Tranquil, as it still does
the big carp thrashed about so much that
it marred itself in other ways; it knocked
off some of its scales and bruised itself so
that it was not slightly; and then it was re-
moved to reserve tank in the corridor at
the rear Of the exhibition tanks. Here it
again distinguished itself by jumping out.
The reserve tank is bigger than the exhibit
tion tank from which it was taken. Stand
ing up, right on the edge OF it all around,
is vertical wire screen ten inches or a
foot in height. Laid fatwise over the top
of the tank, its outer edges resting upon
the vertical screening rising from the
edges Of the tank. is screen cover, made
of wire cloth with a frame of wood this
screen lies fifteen to eighteen inches abov e
the surface of the water, but the big carp
jumped up against it, raising it by the
force of the blow sufficiently, as it had
done in the other case, to enable it to jump
over the edge. 1t was picked up again en-
the floor and once more returned to its
tank. Now a section of plank has been
laid lengthwise along the cover and this is
han h. rnfc HI, ty,; ~,
effort to lift it the carp now and then
comes up against it hard.
Ordinarily there is constantly running
into the tank stream OF water, the sur
plus running off by an overflow pipe. Oc-
casionaily, incidental to the care of the
various tanks. the running water in the
carp's tank may be shut Off for a brief
time. Then for some reason the carp al
ways kicks up ruction. thrashing and
spiashing around and spiashing water out
until the floor around the tank is wet
with 1t.