ON THE ECONOMICAL USES OF FISHES. 209 



sink, leaving the rest on the sea-shore. In any other 

 country such a capture of fish would, without ail 

 doubt, pass for a miracle." 



Along the East Indian coasts lAany species are 

 much used as food by the natives and Europeans. 

 Among these are the mango-fish, Polynemus para- 

 discus^ well known in Calcutta, where it is eaten 

 fresh, and also when salted and dried ; the Scomber 

 leopardus^ or leopard-mackarel ; a fish analogous to 

 the sole of Europe, the zebra-sole, Pleuronectes zebra; 

 and a small fish called by the natives bumbalo, but 

 the scientific name of which we are unable to ascer- 

 tain, which, in a dried state, furnishes an important 

 article of commerce, and is said to form a principal 

 article of food among the lascars or Indian sailors. 

 The Ganges and other large rivers of India are well 

 stocked with abundance of edible fish. 



But perhaps the most important fish which we 

 might mention as occurring in Asia is the sturgeon, 

 several species of which, but chiefly, it is believed, 

 the Accipenser huso, yield the isinglass of commerce. 

 Sturgeons ascend the rivers in the northern seas at 

 certain seasons, in vast numbers, for the purpose of 

 spa>vning, and their fishery is then of great impor- 

 tance. The principal sturgeon fishery is carried on 

 in the rivers which are connected with the Caspian 

 sea, and the fish are generally taken in weirs or 

 chambers, analogous to those for catching sahnon, 

 used in many parts of Scotland. The process for 

 making isinglass was long kept a secret by the 



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