tn the Fish Gallery of the Indian Museum. 35 



Observe also in Case 12 how the adult male alone of 

 the common Stickleback has the throat and belly 

 coloured bright red during the breeding-season. 



Of the Habits and Uses of Fishes little can here be 

 said. 



As to Uses : in every civilized country that has a sea- 

 board, the sea-fisheries are a recognized source of the 

 country's wealth and an acknowledged factor in its 

 commercial importance, besides often giving — as in the 

 case of Norway— a determining impulse to its scien- 

 tific, no less than to its industrial, activities. In India, 

 unfortunately, the sea-fisheries, although they are of 

 incalculable value, are almost entirely neglected by 

 capital, so that instead of contributing largely — as they 

 ought — to the national prosperity, they do little more 

 than furnish a contemptible living to the meagre popu- 

 lation of the coasts. 



As regards Habits, these, as far as they have any 

 peculiar interest, will be referred to in the sequel. 



A few words have yet to be said (1) as to the geogra- 

 phical relations of the Indian fish-fauna, and (2) on the 

 fishes that inhabit the great depths of the Indian Seas. 



THE GEOGRAPHICAL RELATIONS OP THE FRESH- 

 WATER FISHES OF INDIA. 



Exclusive of some marine forms that ascend tidal 

 rivers, the true fresh- water fishes of India number about 

 400 species, of which considerably more than half 

 (nearer two-thirds) are Carps {Cyprinidce) y and about 

 three-tenths are Cat-fishes (Siluridce.) 



The Carps form an enormous dominant family and 

 are widely spread, in fresh waters, in Europe, Asia, 

 Africa, and North America : there is little difficulty in 

 explaining their presence and abundance in India. 



