146 



MADRAS FISHERIES BULLETIN 



VOL. XV, 



only from January till October. The vagaries in sardine migra- 

 tions may be seen by comparing the inshore fishery statistics with 

 ours. Clupea kanagiirta was completely absent in June 1922, while 

 June 1919 produced the maximum catch of the year. October 1922, 

 the best month of the year, was one of the poor months in 1919. In 

 March 1922 and 1919 Clupea kanagurta was absent from Madras. In 

 August and September 1922 Clupea melanura was most abundant. 

 In 19:9 it was absent in August and the September catch was a 

 poor one. 



The Indian herrings are another group of important fishes, 

 though during the inshore experiments they were caught in small 

 numbers. The Tamil names are Kuthuva (Pellona hcewniijuv), 

 Therakulhwa (P. indica), Poovali (P. elongata) and Vengan {P. 

 brachysoma and P. havenii). 



The Indian herrings, though occurring in good numbers all the 

 year round, are most prolific in October, the other best months being 

 January and February in the north-east monsoon and September 

 and November in the south-west. 



The grey mullets which are found in ihe sea, backwaters and 

 freshwater are of some importance in Madras though not in 

 Tuticorin. Under this name are included Madavai (Mugil oligolepis, 



