No. 6 (1922) FISH SUPPLY OF MADRAS l6l 



4 Fugo ' (puffer), but greater is the dread of losing life." This year 

 30 lb. of puffers were sold for Rs. 2 in the Egmore market on 20th 

 December 1921 apparently for medicinal use. 



Thalari (Opistliopterus tartoor) was seen in the markets in 

 October. 



Ten lb. of Pachakutty ( Chatoessus nasus) were sold in December. 

 This fish which usually occurs in large shoals is good eating 

 though bony. 



Vangaravasi {Harpodon iichercus), the Bombay Duck, is a rare 

 fish, 10 lb. having been available in March. The fish which is 

 coated with plenty of mucus is very good eating and is reckoned 

 a delicacy when fried in ghee. 



Ullam (Clupea ilisJia), the Sable fish or Hilsa, is such a highly 

 esteemed food fish that a Tamil proverb advises one to sell all that 

 he has to buy it. In Sanskrit it is Matsya Raja, the king of fishes. 

 A rich food before the eggs are deposited, the fish has so many 

 bones that one has to be careful in eating it. Only 2 lb. of this 

 fish were sold in the Madras markets during the statistical year 

 and that was in October. The following statement gives the 

 monthly statistics of the different kinds of fish sold in Madras 

 during the year 1921-22 : — 



