( G8 ) 



The foregoing 1G1 reports from native officials give the 

 minimum size of the meshes of nets employed in their 

 districts, and if one just considers the sized fish such minute 

 meshes will ensnare, it is impossible to avoid coming to the 

 conclusion that an immensity of wee ones must be destroyed 

 before they can attain a fair size. My own impression is that, 

 were very exact returns sent in, the proportion of finer 

 meshes would be even greater than is shown above. Although 

 this question was not put to the European officials of these 

 districts, some have observed upon the subject. My reasons 

 for wishing rather to obtain this information from natives 

 being, that it can hardly be expected civilians, who are 

 worked all day in cutcherry, have time, even had they inclina- 

 tion, to examine paddy-fields and inundated portions of the 

 country during the rains, and whilst the young fish are 

 moving about, in order to ascertain the smallest size of the 

 meshes of nets which are employed, whilst observations 

 made in the cold season would not afford the desired informa- 

 tion. In Bombay, out of 10 who reply, 1 says less than an 

 inch, and 1 at T Vth, 1 at yVth, 1 at j^th, 1 at -g^nd, 1 at the 

 size of a grain of wheat, and 2 at that of a large needle. 

 But some even place it at a smaller size, as in Khandeisli 

 (p. xlv), where, when small-meshed nets are not available, 

 the Bhils use their sheets, saris and dhotars for the purpose 

 of taking fish. In Ahmednuggur, pieces of cloth are used 

 as nets (p. xlviii). In Madras, 21 observe upon this subject 

 as follows : — 1 places it at fth of an inch between each knot 

 of the meshes, 1 at J, 3 at Jth of an inch, 1 at |th, 2 at Jth, 1 

 at y^th, 1 at T 'oth, say the meshes are small, 7 that they 

 are very small, of the size of a quill or red gram seed, 

 and 2 that they resemble mosquito curtain net. In Mysor 

 8 European officials give the size of the mesh of the nets as 

 follows : — 1 at \ an inch between each knot, 2 at Jth, 

 2 at T '-th, 2 as the size of mosquito curtain net, and 1 as 

 small enough to take the spawn of fish. In Haidarabad 

 1 Deputy Collector returns the minimum size employed at 

 Jrd of an inch between each knot, 1 at fth, 1 at Jth, 1 

 a t -j'yth, whilst in 2 they are stated to be too small to be 

 measured. In the Central Provinces, out of 13 European 

 reports, 3 give it at Jth of an inch between each knot, 

 1 at J;th, 5 at Jth, 1 at T Vth, and 3 as the size of coarse 

 muslin, a large needle, or very small. In Oudh, 9 European 

 officials report thus : — 1 that the minimum size of the 

 mesh of nets employed is fth of an inch between each knot : 



