24 INDIAN FRESH-WATER FISHES. 



are we sufficiently acquainted with its food and habits, 

 to be able to account for the reason of its occurring 

 in one stream rather than in another. 



There are are two institutions which are calculated 

 to afford much assistance in this study. I mean 

 museums and aquaria. The first to be of any real use 

 should be a public affair ; the second, even on a small 

 scale, in a private house, is of great value. Some 

 day perhaps every province, or even every district 

 of India, may have its museum containing specimens 

 of all objects of Natural History indigenous therein, 

 well arranged and properly looked after. (Only on 

 this condition are they of any use, otherwise they be- 

 come mere curiosity shops.) It would be an immense 

 boon to the collector to be able to deposit his speci- 

 mens in the nearest museum, if he knew that they 

 would be duly examined, and, if new or interesting, 

 described, or forwarded to the British Museum as the 

 case might require. This is perhaps too much to 

 hope for just now. Meanwhile the aquarium as a 

 means of study is available to all of us on a small 

 scale. It is in itself a source of much interest, be- 

 sides being ornamental ; it need not be a large or 

 expensive affair — one or more glass globes, or even 

 lamp shades, enable one to watch the habits of a 

 great variety of the smaller species, which abound in 

 every tank and pond. 



And very little trouble or attention is required, 

 the main point being not to put too many fish into 



