J39 



2. Staff. — The several posts sanctioned for my branch during the 

 re-organization of the Fishery Department were all filled up during 

 the year. 



Mr. B. Sundara Raj, .m.a., who was the Zoological Assistant in 

 the Madras Museum, was appointed as my Assistant in December 

 last. He was specially deputed to investigate the more or less 

 permanent waters of the Presidency and report on their suitability 

 or otherwise for the improvement of their fisheries. Most of the 

 important tanks in the Presidency excepting those in the districts of 

 Cuddapah and Northern Circars were inspected and reported on. 

 He has also made a preliminary investigation of the fisheries of the 

 several branches of the Godfivari river from the anicut to the sea, in 

 connection with our scheme for conservancy and re-stocking of the 

 upper waters of the Godavari and its perennial tributaries, Sileru 

 Sabari and Machkand rivers, which 1 hope to complete this year. 

 Several tanks have been selected and steps are being taken to improve 

 their fisheries, by introducing valuable non-indigenous species of 

 fish. 



3. Sunkesiila fish farm . , . The farm work progressed well 

 during the year. A large head of quick growing non-predaceous 

 carp were maintained at the farm for stocking purposes and these 

 were mostly turned out into the Tangadencha tank with a view to 

 counteract the deleterious effect due to the breaching of the tank the 

 year before last. To give the introduced fish a good chance of 

 breeding, the fishery of this section of the canal will not be auctioned 

 for a few years, until the tank has again become fully stocked by our 

 operations. Many thousands of murrel fry bred at the Sunkesula 

 fish farm were turned out into the Edurur swamp for growing. 



One of the breeding ponds was set aside and specially prepared 

 for the breeding of Osphromenus olfax. The acclimatisation of 

 Tench (Tinea vulgaris) bids fair to be a success, but of course takes 

 considerable time. 



4. Hiha hatchery. — I am sorry to say that there were no opera- 

 tions at the hatchery owing to the absence of ripe fish. I deputed my 

 Sub-Assistant to wait at the Lower Anicut during the most likely 

 time for obtaining ripe fish, but to no purpose. I have found it is 

 only in exceptional years "that those fish can be obtained in this 

 condition. 



5. Stocking of tanks and canals. — As mentioned in paragraph 3 

 supra most of the fish from the farm were turned out at Tangadencha 

 tank, which is a natural distributing centre for the whole of the 

 Kurnool-Cuddapah canal. The following tanks were also stocked : — 



T- ■', ' ■'■ , ■■■ ■" "'\ Bellary district. 



Kamalapuram tank ... ... ...J ■' 



Markapur tank ... ... ...\ 



Venkatapuram tank ... ... ... ! ^^ 1 j- ^ • . 



T3 1 1: 1 f-lvurnool district. 



Belegal tank ... ... | 



. Badai Khan tank ... ... ... J 



