1921.] S. Iv. HoRA : Fish of Manipiir. ijy 



The .Manipuns do not take any other animal diet hut fish, 

 and practically all species found in the valley, except the Nga- 

 fiiram and the Nga-loi, to which Ihey have a religious objection, 

 are eaten. All are said to be more or less "bitter," when com- 

 pared with the dried fish imported in large quantities from vSylhet, 

 Cachar and from various other places. Below I have arranged 

 the fish according to their food value as determined by Manipuris. 



Good eating. — Khabag ; Sarin-kJwi-bi ; Sdreng , Nga-cJiep ; 



Nga-rang ; Nga-pang ; Nga-chau ; Nga-ifa. 

 Fairly good. — Nga-rin; Nga-mu; Nga-kaya ; Ngir-tin: Nga- 



mu-sangum. 

 Fairly good but bony. — Nga-ioJ ; Nga-yohi-mapi. 

 Very bitter. — Huru ; Nga-kha ; Nga-sang ; Nga-rohi. 

 Smoked before eating. — Nga-kshrou ; Nga-nap ; Nga-rin ; 



Nga-iiip. 



The fish sold fresh in the markets are : — Nga-viu ; Nga-kara ; 

 Nga-iin ; Nga-chcp ; Sarcng. 



Of these the first two are very common and are sold in a 

 living condition in the market. The rest of the species except 

 Sareng are also brought to the market dried. The major part of 

 the freshfish sold in Imphal comes from Waithu-pat and the 

 dried fish are mostly from the Thanga Island. 



SY.STEMATIC DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION 



FROM THE MANIPUR VALLEY AND THE 



NAGA HILLS. 



Order SYMBR ANCHOIDEA. 



Family SYMBRANCHID.^E. 

 Monopterus albus (Zuiew). 



1916. Monopfems a/biis. Weber and lieautOrl. Fislws Indo-Austy. 



Arch., Ill, p. 41,",. fis'^- -^11'. ^n- 

 i()i8. Moiioptems albiis, .\nnaudale. Rc'c. Ind. Miis., XI\', p. 42. 



Monopterus a/bus is found all over southern .'\sia east of the 

 Bay of Bengal ; its range extends to northern China and Japan. 



The fish is onlj' found buried in mud at the edge of the Luk- 

 tak Lake. Some sj ecimens were also found in the rice-fields in 

 partially dried ponds. It is eaten by Nagas but not by Manipuris, 

 who have certain religious scruples regarding the species. The 

 Nagas, like the Inthas in the Inle Lake, capture the fish with a 

 two-pronged spear. 



Cormorants, judging from the contents of their stomachs, 

 seem to feed largely on this species. 



