( 25 ) 



In ilio irni(1nrnl).'ul vVssiEfncd Districts, (lio Telisildfir of 

 lUildaua ([):u-a. 2;5S) ol).scrv<!S (Iinl " (lisliirljiiii:,^ t|„; water 

 of a stream, so as to cause it to become muddy, is said some- 

 times to cause the fish to die." Also in Oadl'i, tlic Commis- 

 sioner of Eaizal)ad (para. 270) reports fish beiug taketi 

 in village ponds and jhils, in the months of Jcth and 

 Baisakh, by hand; the water being first muddcd by gangs 

 of from 50 to GO men. Tliis sudden fouling with mud, 

 causing death to watcr-brcathing (Ishes, is likewise observe(l 

 during the monsoon mouths, where a sudden descent of very 

 mvuldy water suffocates this class of fishes. The Collec- 

 tor of Tanna (para. 101) remarks that, when the rivers 

 become muddy at the commencement of the monsoon, 

 fish die in large numbers, also when they become 

 nearly dry at the close of the hot weather. Also (para. 

 187) in Sittinumgalum, it is observed of the I3howany 

 llivcr that fish die when the water is mixed with nrud to a 

 large extent, as during the monsoons ; this has also been 

 observed in Malabar. Secondly, some species, which, although 

 they to a limited extent are " Avater-breathers," are more 

 essentially " air-breathers," having a compound respiration, 

 consequently muddy water hardly affects them. Thus, in 

 carrying live specimens of Ophh)cephalus from the plains to 

 tiie Nilghiri hills, this was most successfully accomjilished in 

 water largely mixed with mud. They never obtain oxygen 

 for any length of time from the air in solution in the sur- 

 rounding water, but inspire it direct from the atmosphere, no 

 matter bow cool and charged with air the water may be ; aiul 

 if una1)le to inhale atmospheric air, become poisoned by 

 the carbon remaining in their circulation. The compound- 

 breathers expire in a longer or shorter interval if un- 

 able to reach the atmospheric air ; amongst these are the 

 climbing perch,' Anahas scandcns, and the species of the 

 Aeantho])terygian genera, I'olyacantlms, Trichogaster, aiul 

 Ophioccpludus, all of which possess a cavity above the gilts 

 for the purpose of the reception of air for respiratory require- 

 ments. The dilTerence between the respiration of the "water- 

 breathers" and the "compound-breathers," as defined, 

 is very apparent when they are lying side b}' side at the 

 bottom of an aquarium. Thus, the ^Tacroncs cnrcio has its 

 gills inconstant excited movement, Avhilst the OphioccpJialkhe 

 scarcely move theirs, but at intervals rise to the surface, 

 open their moulhs, and take in air. This latter phenomenon 

 of breathing the air pure, and not subsequent to its solution 



