( 100 ) 



the proposition admitted, that small fish ought to be allowed 

 to be taken, why not permit such during the first four or 

 five months of the year during the time when the vast 

 majority of the fry of the more valuable sorts are not moving 

 about ? The destruction of the fry of fish, as already observed, 

 some native officials appear to deem the root of the present 

 evil (pp. exxiv, exxv), if a decrease of fish is one, as seems 

 to be doubted by some reporters (p. xlvi) ; one native official 

 volunteers the opinion in Madras (p. xcvii) that " nets 

 and traps ought to have holes large enough for a 2-anna 

 piece to go through" (yVths of an inch in diameter). In the 

 Panjab (p. xi), " Mian Mahbub Dhony, Magistrate, who is a 

 great sportsman, thinks the mesh should not be less than 

 nine inches all round." 



CI. It has also been proposed that the use of nets 

 „ ^ , within a certain distance of weirs, 



further proposals. n . , . , 



&c, spanning rivers and streams be 

 prohibited. That measures be taken to prevent indiscri- 

 minate destruction of fish in irrigation canals as will be 

 alluded to further on. That the use of loaded hooks be ille- 

 gal, also the poisoning of waters (pp. lxxii, lxxiv, lxxv, lxxx, 

 lxxxvi, cxvii, exx), drainage of tanks (pp. lxxiv, lxxv); that 

 the amount of captures be restricted (p. xvi), as well as the 

 number of days in which fishing is permitted (p. xvi). That 

 monopolists be allowed to rent fisheries and the sale of fish 

 in districts (p. xvi), whilst the rulers of foreign States, 

 whose territories are contiguous to those of the British, and 

 through which the same rivers run, be requested to join in 

 any plan adopted by the Legislature (p. xiv). That money 

 obtained from fisheries, by leasing out those now permit- 

 ted to run to waste and ruin, be applied for the protection and 

 •extension of their importance and usefulness (pp. lii, lxxii), 

 and the destruction of vermin, &c. Thus, as observed by the 

 Madras Revenue Board, that " with care a large prospective 

 income may be relied on from this source," and to obtain such, 

 care will be necessary, and waste must be stopped. Whilst as 

 " in several districts the whole subject is inadequately attended 

 to," anew regime must commence, not by introducing foreign 

 fish and killing their fry as well as the old as soon as intro- 

 duced, not by persecuting to destruction the indigenous races ; 

 not by artificially breeding fry to be indiscriminately destroyed 

 as soon as turned into the water, refusing to kill vermin, and 

 considering the poacher's interest as vested rights, but by 

 applying the English law in a modified form to Indian 



