( 2 ) 



tlctfiils have been collated. Finally, Siucl was visited,* and 

 now the whole of these enquiries ure brought together :is 

 briefly as possible, in order that individual investigations may 

 bo tested to the fullest possible extent by the opinions of 

 others, prior to any definite conclusions being arrived at. 



II. Respecting those who have previously Avorked 

 Previous woiUc, 3 on u,o sub- aiuougst tlic frcsh-Avatcr fisheries of 



jectottiic tiaiaa in i.uiia. India, our litcraturc is exceedingly 



scanty. JDr. Jlamilton Bnchauau in 1822 published " The 

 Wishes of tlie Ganges," his investigations into which com- 

 menced in 1791'. Lie considered the question of fish as one, if 

 not the most important, which could be enquired into, and gave 

 many interesting observations bearing on the subject. 

 Br. McClelland in 1839 drew attention to the great benefits 

 Avhieh might accrue in looking after the fresh-water fisheries. 

 Cuoier, when writing to a correspondent iu India, observed 

 that he did not know a more interesting and important 

 question that could arise in the East, than an enquiry into the 

 I'resh-Avater fisheries of Hindustan, In 1819, the late Dr. 

 Jerdon published papers upon the fresh-water fish and fisheries 

 of Southern India in the " Madras Journal of Literature and 

 Science." Mr. Blyth has given some description! of these 

 fishes in the "Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal," 1859 

 and 18G0. In the " Fishes of Malabar," published by myself iu 

 18G5, are a few remarks on the same subject, my attention, 

 when collecting the fresh-water fish, having been drawn to 

 the Avasteful destruction then going on. (Sec para. 139.) 

 Mr. Grant, Collector of Malabar, about this time suggested to 

 Government the necessity of afl'ording some protection to the 

 fishes in the Avaters of his collectorate from the indiscriminate 

 destruction to Avhich he considered they Averc subject, but 

 nothing AA'as attempted. Two years subsequently, the late 

 Colonel Ilaly revived the question, and since that period a 

 mass of valuable information has accumulated. 



III. In 1867, some enquiries Avere made by the Govcrn- 

 „ ^ mcnt of India, the replies to Avhich 



Eiiqiunes m;iilo by tlio Govern- ,, i ■, j i , • ji • i 



mcnt oi iiuiia in 1HIJ7. nu.i sus- may Avcll uc advcrtcd to m this place. 

 gcstious .i3towbut infunnutiou qijie Natural Uistonj Secretary to the 



then uuuvailiiblu wiis rcfiiurcil. 4 ■ ,- i, ■ , /• -ri i /m j 



Astatic Socteti/ of JJcngal (21st 

 January IBGB) replied " that the Council are fully aware of the 

 great importance of the question at issue, and they consider 



• lieport, llarch 1871. 



f There nrc several authors who liavc written on tlie fresh-wftter fislics of India, but 

 confined tlieir I'entaiks simply to ilesei-iptions witli or without figm-es — liloch.j liitssetl^ Sj/{cs, 

 Cut. and I'ul., Graj/ and Qiinther, whilst llardwickc only yave diawings. 



