^0 -on the generation of Jf/bes. Sept. vi^, 



elucidations respecti:ig this very curious subject; 

 and with that view I Ihull state plainly th-j facts that 

 have been reported to me concerning it. 



About four years ago I was told by a gentleman, 

 who had not himself been in India, that, at Bombay, 

 he had been afsured by several persons who had 

 lived there a considerable time, that no sooner 

 did the rainy season set in, so as to form pools of 

 water in hollow places, which had been for many 

 months quite dry, than the Natives used to go out 

 and catch great quantities of a certain kind, or kinds, 

 j^I cannot be positive) of fiilies, which were eat by all 

 the people with great avidity. They all afsured 

 him this was a fact universally there known; they 

 afserted that these fifhes were found in every 

 pool of water, most of which had no sort of com- 

 munication with river water or overflowing tanks, 

 but had been formed entirely by rain that liad fallen 

 from the clouds. ' 



This appeared to me so romantic a story that I did 

 not venture to mention it to any person for a 

 long while ; nor did I even think it afforded founda- 

 tion suflicient for troubling any of my correspondents 

 in India about the matter. 



At length I ventured to mention the subject to a 

 gentleman who had been some years in India, as a 

 wonderful story I h-id heard, but to which I attach- 

 ed no degree of credit ; and to my no small surprise 

 he afsured me the fact was so, — said he had often eat- 

 en of the fi(h himself ; and described them as being 

 a small fiA, v^ry like the European minnow, but . 

 different from it in some respects : he said they 

 were caught in vast quantities, not only on the island 



