ccxxvu 



BENGAL. 



(Snpplcmenfarij Report, received November btJi, 1872.) 



405. The Agent to the Goventnv General, North-Eaaicrn Frontier, 

 Opimoiig of Ruiopcnii OfTioinls """^ Commissioner of Assam observes (October, 

 in Noitli-Enst Bengal, nml 9tll, 1872) that he is " uot sufTicieutly well 

 ■*^^"'™' informed on the sniiject to have any tein])ta- 



tiou to be discursive about it," and has to " deplore the .nbseucc of the 

 tastes which, either as sportsman or naturalist, would have led me to 

 bestow some attention on the numerous varieties of fishes that are to 

 be found in Assam." No doubt a very unnecessary destruction of fresh- 

 water fish goes on at present in Assam; but, on the whole, it may be 

 doubted whether such is a wasteful one, in the sense of injuriously alFect- 

 ing the sujiply available for legitimate consumption. He observes that 

 " I should be slow to believe that there were fewer fish anywhere in 

 Assam now than there used to be, unless it were demonstrated to me 

 that the actual take of fish anywhere over the same area of watpr with 

 the same engines and the same slcill was less than it used to be; and 

 then, unless the same fact could be proved as to many localities in differ- 

 ent parts of Assam, I would not allow the extension of an inference of 

 diminished fish-supply to the whole province." Crocodiles (termed 

 alligators) during the dry season are in extraordinary numbers ; 

 the natives .as-scrt they have increased, .and, as a consequence, that fish 

 have decreased, the Commissioner, considering just the contr.ary 

 must be the true solution, continuing — " at .all events, I have little 

 doubt but that the number of fishes destroyed by the crocodiles on the 

 Brahmaputra is beyond all proportion greater than what is destroyed 

 by man, and it would seem, therefore, that the first duty of a system of 

 fish conservancy for that river would be the killing of the crocodiles." 

 Breeding-fish and their fry and those in all conditions are destroyed by 

 the Assamese by every engine and contrivance that they can command. 

 Owing to a sparse population and a largo amount of water, it is sur- 

 mised that the destruction caused by village populations must be but .t, 

 small proportion to the whole, consequently that there is not any emer- 

 gent nccossity for attending to the conservancy of its fish, but poisoning 

 the waters is objected to. " Dr. D:iy will, perhaps, pardon me for sug- 

 gesting to his objections that the onus protjandi is with him, and not 

 with those who diller from him, for his is tlie afiirmative proposition, 

 viz., that the supply of fish has diminished, and it is for him to prove it, 

 by showing that the fishermen have improved in their means of capture, 

 have changed their times of fishing, and that the fish-eating population 

 has increased, or in any other way." [Here I must dissent from the 

 statements adv.anccd. First, no onns protjandi lies with me, because I 

 have not wished to prove anything, but imjiarti.ally carry out an inves- 

 tigation given me by the Government of India, whilst the most satis- 

 factory conclusion would have been that, due to the care of the fisheries 

 by olllcers in civil employ, they were not deteriorating. Sccgndlij, 



