TAMARIND-FISH 



FISH 



Shagreen 



ktitili or mukali-parah ; THrii<ii-n h<i,,, r ia (I.e. ii., 134), the Puttiah ; 

 ,,,,1-f. . /<iri.>rii (I.e. ii., 372), the kolisha, nga-phyin-thaUbone of the 

 tish mmlo into ;i././" : i / " ' (i.e. i., 53), the Ray-fiah, tankunh. 



Thurston (i.e. 1900, No. 2, 116 e* </.) should be consulted for particulars 

 ..!' (ho In.luin methods of fish-curing. The bulk of the traffic, he says, take* 

 between September and March. 



11. FISH SCALES. The scales of the mahimir (fidi-buw t r ) are said to be 

 tmiployed in the manufacture of playing-cards. They are out into circular pieces Playing-card*. 

 about 1 1 inch in diameter, painted and varnished. The centre of the trade in 



this curious commodity appears to be Shahabad. In the Deccan the large 

 scales of a carp are used in place of glass for windows. The scales of the Bleak 

 tnul the Dace are in Europe employed in the production of a substance known Artificial 

 as Essence d'Orient which is utilised in the manufacture of artificial pearls. 

 [Ind. Art at Delhi, 1903, 202-5.] 



12. SEA FISH. So many of the fish that should fall into this position will 

 l . < numerated under other headings that it is hardly necessary in this place to 

 do more than mention a few of the more important species : Aiin-i-imi /-/.fii 

 (l.r. ii., 338), also KngmuHH imiicn* (i.e. i., 394), both called Whitebait by 

 Europeans in India; *7io >,!>,,,, (i.e. i., 403), the Milk Fish or White 

 Mullet ; <-hatofHHHH c/idcuiidd (i.e. i., 386), the Indian Herring ; rfu/-,/ 

 /in,i>ii,ii,i. nif and ioic-/>* (I.e. i., 373-4), Sardines; 'ybimn yiitttiium 

 (I.e. ii., '210) and ('. commri-mmu (I.e. ii., 211), eeir ; ri/iiofoii i, .,,, 

 (i.e. ii., 454), the Sole of Europeans in India, or kot-aralu, a fish highly 

 esteemed in the coast towns of India; f***iiMnV-i m-nta (I.e. i., 399), the 

 Malabar Sardine; Jfrjorfn nrii !( (i.e. i., 412), Bombay Duck; i.nt<- 

 </! !/ (i.e. i., 440), the Cock-up or nair, the begti; -Wnolf rorwiifd 

 (i.e. ii., 349) and other species, the Mullet; Jofj/*icnr imiirun (I.e. ii., 105), 

 the Rowball of Vizagapatam, the sele, is one of the chief sources of the " Fish- 

 maws "; scombri- Miiri'ofr/i(iofn* (i.e. ii., 203), the Mackerel ; *iii *</jm< 

 (I.e. ii., 224), the Whiting of Europeans in Madras; stromuiftin rt net-en* (I.e. ii., 

 198), the Silver and Grey Pomfret ; .>. nigt-t- (I.e. 199), the Black Pomfret ; 

 N. *iii-ii.si. (i.e. 197), the White Pomfret; and r >*> rittntn*, the Mullet 

 (i.e. ii., 25). 



13. SHAGREEN OR FISH-SKINS. The rough skins of many species of fish are 

 used as a kind of sand-paper, and that of certain sharks, rays and skates is made 

 into the substance known as shagreen. This is a thick skin covered with hard 

 enamelled papillose scales. After being cured and stained it is employed to 

 cover boxes, scabbards, sword-handles and other such purposes. In some 

 respects the shagreen from the ray -fish and certain species of dog-fish is regarded 

 as superior to that of the shark. In Hunter (Imp. Qaz., x., 252) mention is made 

 of shagreen manufactures at Nawanagar; also in Milburn (Or. Comm., ii., 511), 

 Horse-skins. The following afford shagreen : ivi*fi* vnmiinutntt (I.e. i., 37), 



the Sawfish ; Khynrhobatnn ttncylontoinnn (I.e. i., 41), the Mud-skate ; Trygon 



..,,>!< a (I.e. i., 50), the Ray ; Zygtvim mnin-iiH (I.e. i., 22), the Hammer-headed 

 Shark. Hoey (Monog. Trade and Manuf. N. Ind., 1880, 94) describes the process 

 of making horse or asses' hides into an imitation shagreen known as kimukht Imitation, 

 and kirkin. 



14. SMOKED FISH. While the art of curing fish by smoking them seems to 

 have been known to the Natives of India from fairly ancient times, it cannot 

 be said that it has assumed a position of such importance as in Europe. The 

 hilsa or Sable, t'inin-a utnim (I.e. i., 376), is the fish most noted as being in India 

 cured by being smoked. The Mango-fish, i*oiynrmnn imiiaiH (I.e. ii., 105), is 

 a fish that must be eaten immediately after being caught. Accordingly, to 

 allow of its being carried to a distance it is sometimes smoked. The bassa of the 

 rivers of Assam, Bengal, Orissa, etc., is also a fish often smoked, but these and 

 other instances are more a consequence of special demand by the Europeans 

 than a regular Native industry. The smoke from burning refuse sugar-cane is 

 that most generally used. 



15. SOAP. Several methods of utilising fish and fish-offal in the production 

 of soap have been discussed by several writers, but no actual industry exists in 

 India for this purpose. [Cf. Simmonds, Waste Prod., 148.] 



16. TAMARIND-FISH. Fish pickled in a preparation of tamarinds is known in 

 Indian trade by this name (see p. 1067 ). The species most frequently treated in this 

 way are t'uinmn gnttattmt (I.e. ii.,210), theaeer oraeirfish, and i.atrn rfrd>-i/< > 

 (I.e. i., 440), the Cock-up or Nair fish, the begti ol Bengal. Thurston says: " In 



547 



Shagreen. 



Smoked 

 Pish. 



Tamarind- 

 Pish. 



