( 86 ) 

 • 

 intoiference with the capture and sale of fish, as it seems to 

 him siicli can only he justifiahle when it can he demonstrat- 

 ed that, unless the Legislature step in, the existence of that 

 important article of diet will cease altogether. A contrary 

 opinion to that advanced in 1808 hy the Ofhciating Chief Com- 

 missioner, and it may perhaps he open to discussion whether 

 Avaiting until fish have almost heen exterminated is a wise and 

 jjrudent course. In Oudh, three-fourths of the markets are 

 said to have a larger demand than supply, and that fry are 

 extensively destroyed. The Chief Commissioner of the 

 Central Provinces (p. cxviii) considers that, should legisla- 

 tion he decided upon, a very wide discretion should ho 

 given to Local Governments in framing the rules, leaving 

 such to he adapted to the case of each district and river. 

 Whilst it has heen proposed in the Panjah tliat (p. xvi) every 

 n^ejiuty Collector should he left to his oavu devices to stop the 

 destruction of fish, hut it is here overlooked that they might 

 have done this hefore now, hut apparently have neglected 

 the suhject ; consequently, if no rules are framed, what 

 groimds exist for anticipating an improved state of aflairs ? 

 It has heen ohservcd in Bomhay that a general Act would 

 he luiworkahle, therefore it would he hotter to have one 

 which could he applied, when considered necessary, to 

 ])articular rivers and localities favourahle for iish-hreeding 

 (pp. xliii, xlviii), a suhject which will have to he more 

 fully considered. In the North-Western Provinces, that 

 the irritation caused Avould he serious (p. cxlviii), al- 

 though no such result has followed identical regulations in 

 the Panjah (p. cxlvii), Avhilst in the Doon, in the North- 

 West, the zemindars (p. cxlix) have carried out the pro- 

 positions to prohihit nets with meshes having less than \\ 

 inches hetween each knot, and stopped the damming and 

 turning of streams for fishing purposes. In Burma, the 

 Chief Commissioner is satisfied " that any attempt to pro- 

 hihit the capture of small fish would he as impolitic as it 

 is unnecessary." Einancial reasons have also heen adduced 

 that a loss of revenue would at first he a consequence of 

 regulating the minimum size of the mesh of nets (p. xii), 

 " althougl) it is prohahle that it would recover itself as large 

 fish increased in numhers, and the fishermen hecome accus- 

 tomed to the system. " That in Bomhay additional police 

 would he rendered necessary (pp. 1, li), also in Madras 

 (pp. Ixxxii, Ixxxvii), and Oudh (p. cxxi). However, in the 

 Panjah it i^s ohservcd that for carrying out such a scheme 



