NOTES AND REVIEWS. ' 43 



nothing new, but had been experienced on many previous occasions, 

 that, in fact, it always happens so in stagnant lagoons, canals, and 

 pools when rain falls in abundance afcer long seasons of 

 drought. 



Mr. Jayasinha thinks that this explanation is probably correct, 

 because the fishes in the Madampe-oya, which enters the sea at 

 Ambalangoda, have not suffered any such calamity. The canal 

 referred to above cuts across Madampe, approaching the sea at 

 Akui-ala at the 56th mileposfc on the road to Galle. The canal is 

 not always flowing, as the mouth becomes blocked by sandbanks 

 and the water is therefore stagnant until the mouth is cleared by 

 the villagers to let out the water after heavy rainfall. The canal 

 was cut by Government for the purpose of draining the neighbour- 

 ing country during floods. It abounds in fishes of various 

 sorts. 



It is of course well known that many fishes are highly susceptible 

 to sudden changes both of temperature and salinity, and the access 

 of a large body of rain water would affect botli, but especially the 

 salinity, and might very well exert a toxic action upon the inhabi- 

 tants which had become accustomed to the special conditions of 

 stagnant water. 



The incident reminds one of an analogous event which happened 

 off the coast of New England, United States of America, in the year 

 1882. The following extracts from an article by Mr. F. A. Lucas,* 

 published in the Report of the National Museum, 1889, may serve 

 indirectly to throw light upon a matter which has mystified the 

 Municipal authorities of Colombo : — 



In the months of March and April, 1882, vessels arriving at Philadelphia, 

 New York, and Boston reported having passed large numbers of dead or 

 dying fish scattered over an area of many miles, and from descriptions and 

 the occasional specimens brought in it was evident that the great majority 

 of these were tile fish (Lajjltolat/lus chamceleonticcps, Goode and Bean). 



As one account after another came in it became apparent that a vast 



destruction of fish had taken place, for vessels reported having sailed for 40, 



50, and 60 miles through floating fish As there were no signs of any 



disease, and no parasites found on the fish brought in for examination, their 

 death could not have been brought about by either of these causes 



Professor Verrill has noted the occurrence of a strip of water, having 

 a temperature of 48° to 5C° Fahr., lying on the border of the Gulf Stream 

 slope, sandwiched in between the Arctic current on the one hand and the cold 

 depths of the sea on the other. During 1880 and 1881 Professor Verrill 

 dredged along the Gulf Stream slope, obtaining in this warm belt, as he terms 

 it, many species of invertelirates characteristic of more southern localities. In 

 1882 the same species were scarce or totally absent from places where they 



* Lucas. F. A., ''Animals recently extinct or threatened with extermination, 

 as represented in the collections of the United States National Museum," Rep. 

 Nat. Mus. (Smithsonian Reports), 18S!t. see j). (>47. 



