No. 4 (1920) THF FISHERIES OF THE N1LGIRIS I4O. 



grounds are to be found close to the river. One lot of the cradle 

 traps were found near a hamlet called Velemenukudu. 



Class of fish captured. — A large variety of valuable fish occupy 

 this section comprising Carnatic carp, true mahseer, rnurral, eels 

 and numerous other edible fish ; specimens of some I preserved. 

 As my investigations were for the protection and improvement 

 of rivers and not classification of fish, I only preserved the 

 smaller variety that came to my rod or net. 



Description of river below Tallakuli. — Proceeding down the Moyar 

 from Tallakuli there is a succession or long deep reaches, gravelly 

 runs and occasional islands with thick undergrowth harbouring 

 numerous water snakes which greatly alarmed take to the water 

 on the approach of the coracle. 



The banks of the river where these long pools occur are lined 

 with impenetrable creeper-covered trees, high coarse grass and 

 thick jungle, broken by huge gaps in the places where elephants 

 cross from side to side. For miles down the river is undisturbed 

 by any poachers and there are no habitations. At one place two 

 large trees of big girth had been blown down by some gale of 

 wind and entirely span the river from side to side. They had 

 evidently been there some considerable time as the floods had 

 piled up all kinds of debris over them. These trees form an excel- 

 lent foundation for constructing fish traps and could be made very 

 effective at little trouble ; it is advisable to have the obstruction 

 removed, as when the people are prevented from poaching in the 

 higher and lower reaches they are sure to give their attention to 

 more inaccessible places and would certainly take advantage 

 of this. 



The river continues much the same down past Theppatturai 

 (where a village used to exist but is now deserted) but occasionally 

 opens out through more accessible country until Gazzalhatti is 

 reached. Here I found evidence of poaching by patches of fish 

 scales on the banks. There is only one man living here, the keeper 

 of a dirty and dilapidated dak bungalow about a quarter mile from 

 the river, but as it is a sort of meeting place of the few local 

 inhabitants, they probably all poach. 



Fishing here with a spoon I caught a small mahseer about 

 1% lb. The contents of the stomach consisted of partly digested 

 cray fish, some large mollusca and a lot of pulpy matter with 

 small pieces of shell intermixed. 

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