( 100 ) 



the propos'Hon admiUcd, that small fish ought to be allowed 

 to be tak( a, why not permit such during the first four or 

 five month •< of the year during the time Avheii the vast 

 majority o' the fry of the more valuable sorts are not moving 

 about ? The destruction of the fry of lish, as already obscrve(l, 

 some native officials appear to deem the root of the present 

 evil (pp. esxiv, cxxv), if a decrease of fish is one, as seems 

 to be doub-ed by some reporters (p. xlvi) ; one native official 

 volunteers the opinion in IMadras (p. xcvii) that " nets 

 !ind traps ought to have holes large enough for a 2-anna 

 ])iece to go tiirough" (j'^nths of an inch in diameter). In the 

 Panjab (p. xi), " Mian Mahbiib Dhony, Magistrate, who is a 

 great sportsman, thinks the mesh should not be less than 

 nine inches all round." 



CI. It has also been proposed that the use of nets 

 „ , , within a certain distance of Avoirs, 



Fui'thcr proposals. „ . . , , , 



&c., spanning rivers and streams ho 

 jn'ohibited. That measures be taken to prevent indiscri- 

 minate destruction of fish in irrigation canals as will bo 

 alluded to further on. That the use of loaded hooks be ille- 

 gal, also the poisoning of watcn-s (pp. Ixxii, Ixxiv, Ixxv, Ixxx, 

 Ixxxvij cxvii, cxx), drainage of tanks (pp. Ixxiv, Ixxv); that 

 the amount of captures be restricted (p. xvi), as well as the 

 number of days in Avhich fishing is permitted (p. xvi). That 

 monopolists be allowed to rent fisheries and the sale of fish 

 in districts (p. xvi), whilst the rulers of foreign States, 

 Avhose territories are contiguous to those of the British, and 

 Ihrough Avhioh the same rivers run, be requested to join ii\ 

 any plan adopted by the Legislature (p. xiv). That money 

 obtained from fisheries, by leasing out those now permit- 

 led to run to waste and ruin, be applied for the protection and 

 extension of their importance and usefulness (pp. Hi, Ixxii), 

 and the destruction of vermin, &c. Thus, as observed by the 

 Madras Il( venue Board, that "with care a large prospective 

 income mry be relied on from this source," and to obtain such, 

 cm'e will be necessary, and waste must be stojiped. Whilst as 

 " in sevcra! districts the whole subject is inadequately attended 

 to," anew regime must commence, not by introducing foreign 

 fish and killing their fry as well as the old as soon as intro- 

 duced, not by persecuting to destruction the indigenous races; 

 iiot by artificially breeding fry to be indiscriminately destroyed 

 as soon as turned into the Avater, refusing to kill vermin, and 

 considerins^' the poacher's interest as vested rights, but by 

 applying ilie English knv in a modified form to Indian 



