206 



ZOOLOGY. 



[Part II. 



Mackerel, dories, carp, whitings, mullet, red and 

 striped, perches and soles, are abundant, and a sardine 

 (Sardinella Neohowii, Val.) frequents the southern and 

 eastern coast in such profusion that on one instance in 

 1839 a gentleman, who was present, saw upwards of 

 four hundred thousand taken in a haul of the nets in the 

 little bay of Goyapanna, east of Point-de-Galle. As this 

 vast shoal approached the shore the broken water became 

 as smooth as if a sheet of ice had been floating below the 

 surface.^ 



Poisonous Fishes. — The sardine has the reputation of 

 being poisonous at certain seasons, and accidents ascribed 

 to its use are recorded in all parts of the island. Wliole 

 famihes of fishermen who have partaken of it have died. 

 Twelve persons in the jail of Chilaw were thus poisoned 

 about the year 1829 ; and the deaths of soldiers have 

 repeatedly been ascribed to the same cause. It is diffi- 

 cult in such instances to say with certainty whether the 

 fish were in fault ; whether there may not have been a 

 peculiar susceptibihty in the condition of the recipients ; 

 or whether the mischief may not have been occasioned 

 by the wilful administration of poison, or its accidental 

 occurrence in the brass cooldng vessels used by the na- 

 tives. The popular behef was, however, deferred to 

 by an order passed by the Governor in Council in 

 February, 1824, which, after reciting that " Whereas 

 it appears by information conveyed to the Govern- 

 ment that at three several periods at Trincomahe 

 death has been the consequence to several persons 

 from eating the fish called Sardinia during the months 

 of January and December," enacts that it shall not 

 be lawful in that district to catch sardines during 



^ These facts serve to explain tlie 

 stoiy told by the friar Odoeic of 

 Friiile, who visited India about the 

 year 1320 a.d., and says there are 

 " fishes in those seas that come swim- 

 ming towards the said coimtry in 

 such abundance that for a great dis- 

 tance into the sea nothing can be 



seen but the backs of fishes, which 

 casting themselves on the shore, do 

 suffer men for the space of three dales 

 to come and to take as many of them 

 as they please, and then they return 

 again into the sea." — Haldmjt, vol. ii. 

 p. 57. 



