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baited Avitli a live frog. Ilaidly liad iUe froti: siilashed itita 

 tlic water, Avhcn a moderately sized murrul seized and 

 swallowed it. Desirous of observing what would next ensue, 

 the fish was left as a bait. Before long a large water-snake 

 was pcreeived swimming towards it, and soon had the fish in 

 its capaeious jaws, thus the three were pulled out of the 

 water at once, and the snake despatched. The iiorpoise, 

 Flataiiisla Gaiigetica, is stated likewise to be very destruc- 

 tive to llsli (p. clxxi). 



Objections to Legal Action being taken. 

 LXXXIV. Objections have been advanced against any 



Gcner;.i objections to action actiou being takcu upou the present 

 being taken. uiodo of Working the fresh-water 



lishcries of India, and that by many officials. Some appa- 

 rency judge from the district they are in; others from single 

 localities, or the report of a subordinate, whose very observa- 

 tions demonstrate his ignorance. A wide and general en- 

 quiry appears necessary before giving any definite opinions, 

 and those of others Avho have any knowledge upon the sub- 

 ject deserve most careful consideration. I, therefore, propose 

 shortly adverting to the various reasons that have been ad- 

 duced by those who advocate leaving mattei's alone, and 

 sucli may be arranged under the following heads : — (1) Op- 

 posed to Divine laws. (2) General objections. (3) Legal 

 objections. (1) As unnecessary. (5) On zoological grounds. 

 (G) On political grounds. (7) For social reasons. (8) As in- 

 terference with old customs. (9) Interference witli trade. 

 LXXXV. Eirst, prohibiting unrestricted capture of fry 



nivine objections to prohibit- ouc official cousidcred would be in 



ing the cnptnie and sale of fry. opposition to DiviuC laWS, but, aS he 



does not advance such to be contrary to the "laws of Nature," 

 one can only quote a recent writer's observation — "The 

 laws of Nature are the voice of God." In Bombay at Kaira 

 (p. Ivii), the common superstitious belief is that the deities of 

 tlie river have been displeased by the withholding of the offer- 

 ings formerly made by travellers who crossed it in carts previ- 

 ously to the opening of the railway. As a consequence, 

 Divine anger has shown itself in decreasing the fishes in the 

 Miiye. Hindus think it better to take the life of one large flsU 

 than many small ones p. xiv), as observed in the I'anjab. 

 LXX'XVI. Secondly, general objections. The Offi- 

 floncn.i objections to legal ciatiiig Chief Comiiiissioncr ^of 

 ■"^'■on- Oudh (p. cxxix) deprecates legislative 



