Destruction of Fish in the Late Frost

Abstract

IN passing across the small suspension bridge over the canal on the north side of the Regent's Park yesterday morning, I observed a number of white flakes on or in the floating ice. On looking more closely, I saw they were dead fish, which apparently were frozen into the ice. The canal was nearly covered with ice, and the fish were scattered in the latter for as far as I could see. I think I may safely say there were on the average three fish for every two square yards; not seldom I saw three or four lying within one square yard. They were roach, or one of the fish resembling it; more commonly 3 or 4 inches long, occasionally larger or smaller. Very likely small fry and minnows were present, but these I could not distinguish from where I stood. Of course it is well known that fish are killed during a long severe frost, but I never saw such wholesale destruction, and it led me to wonder whether in any case such a cause may have acted in the geological history of the globe. Perhaps I am asking a question which only displays my own ignorance, but can anyone tell me how it is with the fish in countries like Siberia? Do they desert those parts of the rivers which are frozen over, or are the currents more rapid, so as to transfer air beneath the ice from unfrozen parts, or, as in some glacier-streams, are they altogether absent?