favourable to its increase. It feeds greedily during open weather; but in the depth of winter buries itself in the mud, and lies inactive. It is easily familiarized to the sight of man, and may

be taught to come to the shallows to be fed by hand. It will live a long time out of water, if kept moist and cool.

Carp are occasionally taken in nets in the Thames as large as nine, and even ten pounds each. The angling season opens at the beginning of June, but for the whole of that month the fish have hardly recovered from the exhaustion attendant on spawning, and therefore are scarcely worth the capturing. Towards July, they begin to afford excellent sport; thenceforward the river