cxxvm 



quantities, and in two it is stated that this does not occur. It, of course, 

 is difficult to prove without a personal visit, whether the small fish sold 

 in the bazar are the fry of larger sorts, but as all fish breed in the 

 rainy months, when little fish appear to be most largely sold in 

 the bazars or used as manure in the fields, it must be conceded 

 that a strong presumption is raised, that immature fishes are very 

 largely destroyed in Oudh. In Baraich alone 8,000 maunds ; in 

 Unas 10,000 maunds; in Suffipur 300 maunds; in Purwah some 

 hundreds of maunds ; in Putti 40,000 maunds, are reported as 

 being killed during the rains, and only in the Tehsil of Fathipur 

 and Sanalughat are they stated not to be so captured. Thus nearly 

 75 millions of ounces weight of small fish are stated in 4 Tehsils alone 

 to be taken during the rains, and it is very evident that the destruction of 

 small fish, when the fry are about, is the rule, not the exception. 



273. What is the smallest size of the mesh of the nets employed? is 



a very important question, because it can 

 The smallest size mesh in fa dJ be asserted to be j udicious to massacre 

 use, and that proposed. J . -> 



the young ot any species or fish, much less or 



those of the largest sorts. We have two classes of reporters ; first those 



who assert that the size of the smallest mesh employed is from a 



quarter of an inch to an inch square. In these localities but very little 



interference could be asserted to be occasioned by prohibiting the minimum 



size being less than one inch between knot and knot. At Hurdui and 



Shahbad, however, it is observed that a grain of gram will be stopped ; 



at Sultanpur that hardly anything will pass ; and at Putti that a grain 



of mothi cannot go through. If all the immature fish are to be destroyed 



in this manner, it seems impossible that the markets could be fully 



supplied. As regards regulating the size of the mesh of the nets for 



the future, an objection is raised that it will be unpopular, because 



of the natural dislike and prejudice of the rustic population 



against any innovation whatever in the implements, for carrying on 



their craft. But no innovation is proposed, only prohibiting the use of 



very minute meshes in their implements ; and the general opinion of the 



Oudh officials is, that one inch between knot and knot should be the 



smallest legal size. 



274. Are fish trapped in the irrigated fields during the rains? is 



another very necessary enquiry, for it is 



wh F eifhreXg. iUhTigatCdfieldS at these P eriods that man y breeding ones 



ascend to deposit their eggs. Some of the 



native officials say they are not destroyed, but 20 assert that they are ; 



and if young ones are so ruthlessly massacred as in Oudh, it does not 



appeal very probable that the adult would meet with mercy. Besides 



this, what do the officials report ? At Faizabad, that all breeding fish 



are indiscriminately netted ; at Hurdui that breeding and young fish are 



destroyed without discrimination and to a great extent. That, as at 



Dcogaon, waters are poisoned, and the large fish, when intoxicated, are 



beaten on the head with sticks and thus destroyed, whilst they are not 



considered good to eat. That in Sitapur, waters are dammed to obtain 



the fish ; at Hurdui, that traps are used to collect fish of the smallest size. 



At Rai Bareli the destruction of all sorts of fish is considerable : and at 



Sultanpur and Pratabgarh breeding fish and young ones are destroyed, 



