i 



XC11 



Thames.] A minimum of two inches is proposed, and that all of the 

 following fish, when less than nine inches in length, should be returned to 

 the water : — Labeo calbasu, l karta' [which attains 3 feet in length] ; Labeo 

 nigrescens, which is said to attain 18 inches in length; Barbus pulc7iellus, 

 katladi/ attains upwards of 17 inches; Barbus Carnations, 'Te-min/ 

 growing in Canara to 18 inches; Barbus Mysorensis, ( Purli/ taken to 

 18 inches; B. mosal and B. tor, c meruval/ both said to grow to 36 inches 

 in Canara. [They attain to even above 901bs. in weight where they are 

 allowed to grow, and are the famous mahaseer]; Op/iiocep/ialus striatus, 

 1 viral/ growing to 24 inches [it may be taken in places to three feet or 

 even more] ; Ophiocephalus diplogramme, 'kuch-chi,' attaining 20 inches; 

 Opkiocep/ialus marulius, ' biral/ growing to 24 inches, and the spined 

 and common eels. Otters and both the crocodiles and their eggs, it is 

 proposed, should be destroyed. " Men search in the rivers for hillocks 

 wherein spawn has been left, gather the ova, and make it into cakes, 

 which are considered a delicacy. The eggs of the ' kari,' Labeo calbasu, 

 and ' kalmuri,' Biscognathus lamta, are highly prized." Fixed engines 

 should be prohibited, and certain river pools protected from netting ; these 

 should be selected, not only with a view to their being convenient to the 

 fish and fry, but also with some reference to their being easy to 

 protect ; consequently those in the neighbourhood of the land or house 

 of the head of the village would be preferable. He also observes, with 

 reference to the construction of reservoirs, that instead of making them, 

 as at present, to drain out the very last drop of water, it might be 

 wiser in all fresh constructions, and when possible in repairs, to follow 

 the example of Hyder, who so placed the sluice that after all the water 

 available for irrigation purposes had been drawn off, there was still left 

 in the reservoir some six or ten feet of water at the embankment, and 

 this water served in the dry season, and more especially in times of 

 drought, the purposes of feeding wells, and thus supplying drinking 

 water to men and cattle, as well as keeping alive a nucleus of fish where- 

 with to re-stock it on the return of the rains. [This, it has been proposed, 

 should be done in the Bombay Presidency from fishery rents (see para. 

 107) ; of course no fishing should be permitted so soon as the level of the 

 upper edge of the reservoir were attained.] 



170. The reports of the Native and subordinate officials of the 



Madras Presidency are nearly all compiled 



Reports of Native officials in from tlie answers w hi c h were circulated in 



the Madras 1 residency. ^^ ^.^ ^ ^ ^ obgervedj are not com . 



plete, as from some districts no answers have been forwarded. 



171. In the G an jam Collectorate, the Telisildar of Chicacole re- 



ports that some of the fishermen have culti- 

 Opinions of Native officials in yation flg we] i and others work for daily hire 

 the Ganiam Collectorate. , , mi t\t i t> n it l, „ „ ,1 „~ 



J as labourers. The Meela, Pully, Khandra, 



Jalary, and Neyala castes fish in the fresh and back-waters. There is 

 generally, but not always, a sufficient supply in the local markets : the fresh 

 (not salted) are most approved of; 250,000 persons consume it; the 

 amount in the waters appears to be stationary. The Telisildar of Gum- 

 s?ir states that persons of the Nolia, Tiyaro, and Kevuti castes fish in 

 the fresh waters. The local market is insufficiently supplied ; about 

 130,000 persons in this talooka, of all castes except Telugu Brahmins 



