CHAPTER XIII. 



FRESHWATER SHARKS. 



" I care not I to fi«h in seas, 

 I'resh rivers best lm mind ilo please." — 



I/in Walton. 



THE name freshwater shark seems to have been given to more 

 than one of the Siluridse, and it is fairly applicable as indicative 

 of their voracity. I propose, therefore, to adi >pt it ; and under 

 this name to present to my readers three different fish of large 

 dimensions that are highly predatory, and may be taken with 

 a rod and line. They are Wallago attu, Bagarius Yarrellii, and 



ndia Qangeti a. 



I cannot call them spurting fish, for they show no vivacity in 

 their play. Still they take out line after their fashion, and hang 

 their heavy sulking weight on it. and grow to an enormous 

 size. So I suppose we must be content with quantity in lieu of 

 quality. As the panther is to the wild cat, so are these Siluroids 

 of the East to the Pike of the West in respect to size and general 

 similarity of habits. 



They are very voracious, preying generally on fish, but they 

 are not particular, and may be termed foul feeders. Still they are 

 esteemed good eating, and why should they not be ? The sweetest 

 fruit are the most highly manured ; and I hold that with fish, 

 too, any food that is thoroughly assimilated grows healthy 

 meat. Otherwise who would eat prawns, shrimps, lobsters, 

 crabs, crawfish, and other scavengers of the sea. Carrion eaters, 

 indeed, that's nothing. Is not the much esteemed trout a 

 cannibal, in common with the Mahseer and other gentry of the 

 waters? Set aside sentiment, ili-ms, and take the proof of the 

 padding to be the eating. Dwell not here on entozoa, and other 

 ramifications of the subject. I believe the above general rule 

 to be sound in the main and sufficient for our purposes. 



