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that are weired not far from the base of the Himalayas, the hilly 

 streams of which are the natural breeding-places for some, 

 as the mahaseer, &c. They descend over them before the 

 cold months, when the rivers above contain too little water or 

 are unsuited for their residence ; and when attempting to 

 return up-stream, find this stone wall an insuperable obstacle : 

 thus their reproduction is likewise prevented. These ques- 

 tions will have to be considered more fully further on, but 

 are only introduced here to demonstrate that it is fish heavy 

 in roe which must have a free passage, at least if the 

 fisheries are worth conserving, and such a ruinous course 

 is not checked by sensible measures of restriction, irre- 

 spective of the consideration that below these weirs or obstacles 

 large accumulations of fish take place, and thus assist man 

 and other predaceous animals in destroying them. Fish when 

 heavy in roe are not so well able to jump any great heights 

 as are some of the younger or barren ones. Standing at the 

 period of freshes, on the bridge above one of the Madras 

 weirs possessing these narrow under-sluices, it is interesting to 

 see the numbers of fish, both large and small, which leap up 

 against their walls : some strike against the piers of the 

 bridge, others fall into the cascade descending over its summit ; 

 but though I have passed hours watching them, I never saw 

 one clear these obstacles, although I have seen thousands 

 attempting it. The only rational reason that I can adduce 

 for the junrping against the insurmountable weir walls 

 whilst the narrow under-sluices are open, is because they 

 find such to be impassable. Could they ascend through these, 

 why do they not ? The truth is that they are unable to 

 do so. When these fishes were netted, many, especially the 

 large ones, were bruised and scaleless in places, evidently 

 due to injuries caused during their frantic but unavailing 

 efforts to surmount the wall, or ascend through the open 

 but narrow under-sluices. Take the Coleroon River as an 

 instance. Since the construction of the lower weir, the shad, 

 which formerly ascended high up to breed, and are now ex- 

 tensively netted below it, have never been taken above it 

 (unless a breach has occurred), and this although there is 

 a second weir nearer its source, where netting was permitted, 

 and which was a further obstacle to ascent. At this second 

 weir indiscriminate slaughter of fish was beins: carried on 

 when 1 was there; mercy was unknown; the amount of 

 present spoil formed the only anxiety of the fisherman, 

 whilst the injury being done to future years' supply was 

 entirely unheeded 



