NOTFS ON THE WATERS OF WESTERN INDIA. 121 



Ofmollusks, the most part are water snails, the most noticeable being 

 the great round ampullaria, as big as a baby's fist. There are at least 

 two mussels ( Unio), one with a rather delicate shell and pale olive 

 green epidermis, and one far more solid and of a black or dark brown 

 colour. The latter is said with great probability occasionally to 

 contain pearls. One such pearl is in the Kolapur Museum, and 

 some from Bengal were exhibited at the Fisheries Exhibition. The 

 natives call all univalves Kuha or Kubi, and all bivalves Shipi, or 

 some derivative thereof. 



Insects of all sorts swarm in and near the water, but there is no 

 space here for describing them. I do not think that anything like 

 the appearance in swarms of the European Ephemerides (green drake 

 and May-fly) is ever seen in this region. The nearest thing to it is 

 when a swarm of newly-hatched winged white-ants drifts over 

 a river or tank, when the fish may be seen rising at them all 

 over the surface. The same thing happens, but more rarely, with 

 locusts. Mole-crickets, wherever obtainable, are a very good bait 

 for almost all sorts of fish. Waterbeetles attain an enormous size, and 

 no doubt destroy fish spawn and even small fry. 



Earthworms (Mahratta gandi'd and gandnin) are generally very 

 hard to get, but when they can be got are as useful here as at home. 

 Leeches (Jalu) are sufficiently numerous in some tanks to make 

 bathing impossible, but are not otherwise a plague as in some other 

 tropical countries. 



A notice of these waters would hardly be complete without some 

 reference to the daily visits of terrestrial animals and birds to the water 

 which are always a remarkable feature of animal life in dry hot 

 climates. The large carnivora usually drink just about dark, 

 perhaps a little before or after. It is said, too, that after eating 

 they always go to the water, at whatever hour. The small cats do 

 the same ; but the jackal usually drinks about 9 or 10 A.M. ; and the 

 mongoose and civets even later. 



The larger wild ruminants, where much hunted, drink before 

 sunrise and after sunset ; but when undisturbed, or after any specially 

 thirsty business, such as love or war, will visit the water at broad 

 noon and before sunset. The small four-horned antelope and the 

 barking deer prefer noon-day ; the gazelle usually drinks a little 

 earlier, say, 10 or 11 a.m. 



But the general drinking time for birds and beasts is when the 

 morning begins to warm up, say, from half-past eight to half-past 



