xcu 



Tliames.] A niinimum of two iuolies is proposed, and tliat all of llie 

 f'ullowiiijj lish, wliL'ii less than nine inches in lengtii, should l>o retuiiied to 

 the water : — LaOco calhasu, ' karta' [which attains '6 feet in leiiyth]; Labeo 

 nujrcsMns, which is said to attain 18 inches in length; Barhus pulchcllas, 

 'katladi/ attains upwards of 17 inches; Barbas Canuiiic/i-i, 'Ti5-niin/ 

 growing in Canara to 1 8 inches; Barhas jlfj/sorensiii, ' Purli/ taken to 

 18 inches ; B. mosal and B. ior, ' menival/ both said to grow to 30 inches 

 in Canara. [They attain to even above 901bs. in weight where they are 

 allowed to grow, and are the famous mahaseer]; Op/iioccjihalus siriatus, 

 ' viral/ growing to 21 inches [it may be taken in places to three feet or 

 even more] ; Oplnoccphalus dijilot/ramme, 'kuch-chi,' attaining 20 inches; 

 Oj)hiocepltaliis maralius, 'h'n-kX,' growing to 21 inches, and the spined 

 and common eels. Otters and both the crocodiles and their eggs, it is 

 proposed, should be destroyed. " Men search in the rivers for hillocks 

 wherein spawn has been left, gather the ova, and make it into cakes, 

 which are considered a delicacy. The eggs of the ' kari,' Labeo calhasu, 

 and 'katniuri,' Dlncognalhun lamia, are highly prized." Fixed engines 

 shoidd bo prohibited, and certain river pools jn'otected from netting; these 

 should be selected, not only with a view to their being convenient to the 

 lish and Iry, but also with some reference to their being easy to 

 protect; consequently those in the neighbourhood of the land or house 

 of the head of the village would be preferable. He also observes, with 

 reference to the construction of reservoirs, that instead of making them, 

 as at present, to drain out the very last drop of water, it might be 

 wiser in all fresh constructions, and when possible in repairs, to follow 

 the e.\ample of llydor, who so placed the sluice that after all the water 

 available for irrigation purposes had been drawn olf, there was still left 

 in the reservoir some six or ten feet of water at the embankment, and 

 this water served in the dry season, and more especially in times of 

 drought, the purposes of feeding wells, and thus supplying drinking 

 water to men and cattle, as well as keejiing alive a nucleus of iish whcre- 

 witli to rc-stock it on the return of the rains. [This, it has been proposed, 

 should be done in the Bombay Presiilcncy from fishery rents (see jiara. 

 107) ; of course no tishing- should be permitted so soon as the level of the 

 uj)per edge of the reservoir were attained.] 



170. The reports of the Native and subordinate officials of the 



Madras Presidency are nearly all compiled 

 Ilopo.tsofNntWcofficiul3 in f,.^,^^ j^j^^ answers which were circulated in 

 the Mudras rresuleiicy. -.n/,- , • i •, -hi i i , 



18C8, which, it will be observe<l, are not com- 

 plete, as from some districts no answers have been forwarded. 



171. In the Gaitjam CoUectorale, the TchslUlar of Cldcaeolc re- 



ports that some of the fishermen have culti- 



Opinions of NjUivc oinciuU in ^^^^^j^,,^ .^^ ^^^.jj ,„jj ^^,,^,.3 ^y^,.). f^j. ,,.,ii |,j^.y 



as labourers. The Mceia, rally, Khandra, 

 Jalary, and Neyala castes fish in the fresh and back-waters. There is 

 generally, but not always, a sullicient supply in the local markets : the fresh 

 (not salted) are most approved of; 250,000 persons consume it; the 

 amount in the wa; IS appears to be stationary. The Telisildar of Gum- 

 stu states that pe.,,ons of the Nolia, Tiyaro, and Kevuli castes fish in 

 the flesh waters. The local market is insufficiently supplied; about 

 130,000 persons in this tulooka, of all castes except Tclugu Uralimins 



