720 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL- HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XV. 



the water-supply and to keep the mosquito larvse from establishing a needless 

 monopoly. Thus it came about that I put in 1,000 fry of various sorts, includ- 

 ing, to my knowledge, the Lates calcarifer (" cock up "), Chela argentia 

 ("chelwa"), Barbus filamentosus ("the black spot"), and Macrones chryseus 

 (" shingali"). At that time I had not recognized our present " friend^in-need " 

 the Megalops. I took him, I remember, for a little carp, but felt, at the same 

 time, uncertain as to his precise identity. This selection of fry will not be 

 considered a very judicious one by the expert, but it was the first time I had 

 ever attempted to " stock" a pond, and the all-pervading desire was to get the 

 fish in. The Lates calcarifer and Macrones chryseus, as is well known, are 

 essentially sea and estuary fish ; but they appear to thrive quite as well as the 

 Meyalops, whose true home and abode is the adjacent sea water. 



The water in the tank is rapidly drying up now, and the welfare of the fish 

 is somewhat at stake. But it is hoped that the remaining two months may be 

 somehow tided over. So much for the actual history of the fish placed in the 

 little tank referred to here. What I ventured to sit down to draw very parti- 

 cular attention to was, however, the marvellous " fly-taking " propensities of this 

 fish. During the last three or four days they have displayed a more pronounced 

 inclination to rise about sun down and continue to do so until it is dark. 

 The fish are magnificently coloured and very game. We have used throughout 

 small " chelwa" flies supplied by Luscombe, and have secured several specimens 

 every evening. If one recollects that the fry were only put in last July, when 

 about 3" in length, and that they now attain \ to ^ lb. in weight and measure 

 10", their rate of growth, in strictly circumscribed circumstances, is one of the 

 most satisfactory features about an altogether satisfactory fish. Their habit 

 of leaping right out of the water when hooked requires very careful manipula- 

 tion and adds to the sport. The local vernacular name for the fish is " Warus," 

 ^J3, and they are known by the same name all down the Rutnagiri Coast. The 

 fish is described in page 214 of Thomas' " Rod in India," wherein his excellent 

 performance with the fly is not given sufficient prominence to. All that is 

 said is, " I am told that they, as well as Elops saurus, have been caught in the 

 Madras Fort ditch with a white fly." 



It is to be hoped that a sufficient case has been made out to induce sports- 

 men to " stock " fresh-water tanks anywhere near the coast with Megalops. 

 The process is not very troublesome, and it is both interesting and productive. 



Locally, the fish is said to attain to a length of nearly 2 feet, at which stage 

 he probably weighs between 3£ and 4£ lbs. A good fly-taker of this calibre 

 deserves a very respectful consideration at all hands. 



W. A. WALLINGER. 

 Order. PHYSOSTOMI 

 Megalops eyprinoides B xxiv — xxvi D. 19 — 21 ( TT =n>) 



V. 10 A 24—27 ( 2 ^) C. 19 L.L. 37—42 L. T V. 5—6/6 

 Vernacular name " Waras " (Marathi.) 

 Aubag, 19ft April, 1904. 



