196 INDIAN FRESH- WATER FISHES. 



to provide for a clear passage for fish up the rivers, 

 except in one or two special cases, for this reason ; 

 in the first burst of the rains, when the fish have 

 to go up stream, the rivers are generally so much 

 swollen that they have no difficulty whatever in reach- 

 ing their destination. All impediments, excepting 

 masonry irrigation works, which are not often met 

 with, are cleared out of the way by the great rush of 

 water. 



It is after the rains are over, when the rivers are low 

 again and the young fry are coming down stream, that 

 care has to be taken of them. Often every drop of 

 the water is strained through wicker-work traps, and 

 the young fish are destroyed by millions. 



It may, perhaps, be said that the fecundity of 

 nature is so great that this destruction of fry does not 

 perceptibly decrease the supply of fish. 



To some degree this is no doubt true, but it should 

 be remembered that the small fry are the natural food 

 of many of the larger kinds, and if the former are 

 destroyed by man, he cannot expect to find a plentiful 

 supply of large fish as well, nor to have them in good 

 condition and well fed. There is no doubt, I think, 

 that when fish of any kind have an insufficient supply 

 of food they never attain their full size, nor, I should 

 imagine, that such kinds as naturally prefer a carni- 

 vorous diet, if forced to feed on vegetable matter, or 

 filthy refuse, are not nearly so good or wholesome for 

 eating. This consideration also disposes of the argu- 

 ment that, of the small fry taken in these basket-work 



