6i 



20. One result of the study of the murrel is the 

 scheme which, during" the year, Mr. Wilson developed 

 for a second fish farm in the Colair lake, in which the 

 breeding- of murrel will be an important item. The 

 second fish farm is equally designed to breed hilsa in 

 view {a) to increasing the numbers of this excellent fish 

 in the Kistna and Godavari rivers both of which will be 

 served by a floating establishment in the Colair lake, (d) 

 to provide ova for stocking the West Coast rivers which 

 appear admirably adapted for this anadromous fish, being 

 uninterrupted by anicuts, full of fish food, and having 

 excellent breeding grounds. In this connection may be 

 mentioned the fact that two years ago a trial consignment 

 of hilsa ova was placed by Mr. Wilson in the Ponnani 

 river, and that in November last a two year old hilsa was 

 caught in the estuary of that river, the first hilsa known 

 to have been caught on the Malabar coast ; this Q-ives 

 support to the belief that the rivers on that coast are 

 suitable for the development of this fine and commercially 

 valuable fish. 



The Colair hilsa breeding scheme replaces that 

 originally proposed on the Coleroon which Mr. Wilson 

 has found a quite unsuitable locality for the artificial 

 propagation of hilsa, partly by reason of the ignorant 

 hostility of the fishermen, partly because of the unsuit- 

 ableness of the locality for unhampered experiment, 

 partly because of the impracticability of obtaining a 

 nursery area or growing ground. The Colair lake seems 

 to provide all necessary advantages. 



21. Other important piscicultural work carried out by 

 Mr. Wilson was the stocking of several large tanks, the 

 preparation of plant for the Salem Waterworks Reservoir, 

 etc. On the visit of Mr. Howell of the Punjab to 

 Sunkesula and by subsequent correspondence Mr. 

 Wilson was able to place at Mr. Howell's disposal such 

 of the information, methods, plant, etc., which had been 

 accumulated or developed in Mr. Wilson's four years' 

 work in Madras, as appeared likely to be of service in 

 the Punjab. Mr. Wilson made numerous tours and part 

 of his time was occupied in selecting a new site for the 

 proposed Kanigiri (Nellore) fish farm, a very promising 

 project, the originally proposed site for which had to be 

 disallowed by the Public Works Department for depart- 

 mental reasons ; a new site is now under report. 



