i203 



and finally when of fair growth, to the large market ponds 

 where they mature. As these market ponds contain the 

 mature fish a large number of murrel are hatched inde- 

 pendently by the parents and tend to increase the stock 

 of fish and, incidentally, of food for the larger fish. 



1 1. The murrel being predaceous are of course kept 

 in separate ponds away from the carp. The market 

 ponds being large and almost covered with vegetation, 

 the fish find an enormous amount of food for them- 

 selves in the shape of frogs, snails, water-beetles, 

 insects, etc., but their natural feeding is supplemented 

 by an artificial growth of frogs for which separate ponds 

 have been allotted ; here the frogs grow in countless 

 numbers, and are daily collected and fed to the murrel. 



12. The large market ponds aggregating over 2|- 

 acres simply swarm with fish of which there must be 

 many thousands. These ponds are called "market 

 ponds" for the following reason: Mr. Wilson ascer- 

 tained (i) the ease with which these fish can be grown 

 in any quantity, (2) the partiaHty of the public for them, 

 especially when grown in clean ponds so that any muddy 

 flavour disappears, (3) the extraordinary ease with 

 which, as air breathers of persistent vitality, they survive 

 removal from the water for many hours if kept merely 

 moist, (4) the miserable nature of the fish supply in 

 Kurnool town and villages (as in all inland districts). 

 Hence he decided to grow murrel extensively not for 

 placing in the canal, etc., but for market supply, and 

 Government have practically sanctioned the building at 

 Kurnool of a market stall with masonry live tanks at a 

 cost of Rs. 550. 



13. The site for this stall is close by the canal ; an 

 irrisfation stream runs alonos'de it, and the water will be 

 simply diverted through the live tanks in which the fish 

 will be placed, and out again, without the slightest loss 

 to the irrioation stream. The tanks will be sunk in the 

 ground and a sluice already exists which will be utilized. 

 The fish, broueht from the farm in live cars alonor the 

 canal, will be placed alive in these tanks, and kept alive 

 till sold. It will be unnecessary to bring them while 

 the canal is closed since at that time Kurnool is supplied 

 with fish from the pools in the section of canal at 

 Kurnool which, as above stated, is the only section 

 containing an appreciable quantity of fish. The market 



