100 A Notice of Indian Cyprinide. 
suppose them to correspond in this respect with that species; 
the question, however, is one that may be easily ascertained by 
weighing a grain of the roe and ascertaining the number of glo- 
bules it contains, while these will be to the whole roe what one 
grain is to its entire weight. The result will show that these 
species are capable of yielding, by their extraordinary fertility, a 
source of food as inexhaustible as the sands of the ocean, could 
we only bring their propagation and the safety of the young suf- 
ficiently within our control. 
“In the reservoirs above described, we have every facility for 
effecting this object on a scale of great magnitude, without in any 
way interfering with the other uses of the water.” p. 458, et 
seq. ‘The only alteration in the present form of the reservoirs 
to adapt them to the purposes in view, would be to enclose the 
lowest portions of the bottom of each with stakes long enough 
to reach above the highest surface of the water, and close enough 
together to prevent the entrance of crocodiles, otters, and the like, 
should any such exist in the neighborhood. The spawning sea- 
son of the Ruee and other Cirrhins, appears to be in the dry 
‘weather ; the contrivance here suggested would therefore protect 
them at that time, and if there should be any danger of the whole 
of the water drying up, wells of sufficient size and depth might 
be formed within the enclosure, to which the fishes would retire 
during droughts, while the shallow waters around the wells would 
afford space enough for the deposit of spawn. 
“Much of our success would depend on keeping those enclosures 
as free as possible from all but the species we desire to propagate. 
At the commencement of the dry season, before the fish begin to 
enter the enclosure, the interval between the stakes might be 
closed with straw, and as the water becomes sufliciently low 
without, most of the rapacious kinds may be removed or destroy- 
ed; none should be allowed to remain but that species alone 
which may be the object of our care. This done, the only fur- 
ther attention necessary, would be to save the fish in the enclo- 
sure from birds during the remainder of the dry season. 
“Should our success be complete, from every moderately sized 
female Ruee we should have, on the commencement of the rais, 
from five to ten hundred thousand fry, which, as the waters rise, 
would be quite able to take care of themselves till the next sea 
son, when it would be necessary again to destroy the rapacious 
