280 Stocking Ponds. Chapt. xm 



" of the two tanks in the garden, about 18 months after they 

 " were captured by nets, and ten put into the tank at Madras, and 

 " ten sent to the hills. Of the latter number, three died in transit. 



" About 20 months ago eight young fish were caught in a 

 " bucket when drawing water, and these were taken to Guindy 

 " and put into the tank in which you saw them lately. 



"There must lie a good many in the Madras tank, unless 

 " they found their way out through the sluice running out of 

 " Government House during the heavy rains. 



" Government House, Madras, (Signed) J. Coombes. 



" 8th September, 1875." 



It will be a thousand pities if the Gourami in Madras are from 

 neglect or any other cause allowed to share the same fate as the 

 ( laJcutta ones. I am told that one of the ponds in which they are 

 holds Murral also, which, of course, is against their propagation. 

 They should be put out without delay in suitable waters, where 

 they will be free from natural enemies, protected from poachers, 

 and secured against floods by gratings. There, carefully propa- 

 gated, the fry could very soon be spread all over the country. The 

 Tanjore District particularly abounds in thousands of perennial 

 ponds set aside for drinking and bathing purposes and attached to 

 temples. More than a million of similarly suitable ponds are 

 doubtless to be found in Southern India, and the amount of highly 

 palatable fish that might be added to our food supply by means of 

 these Gourami is incalculable. 



For commencing the experiment, Madras has excellent facilities. 

 Attached to the Government Central Museum there are two good 

 sized ponds, fed by a pipe from the Red Hill reservoir, and free 

 from any other supply except local rainfall. In these ponds there 

 are now unfortunately some Freshwater Sharks and Murral, besides 

 other fish, so that they would have to be cleared of them first. 

 But by the aid of the Railway Company's steam-pump this would 

 be no difficulty, and the water and the mud clearing might lu- 

 spread over the adjoining grass with profit to it. With watchmen 

 to prevent night netting, these ponds in Government grounds 

 might easily be made the nucleus of a supply for the Presidency. 

 Considering the value of the culture to the Presidency, the Govern- 

 ment might well sanction the few pounds necessary to carry to 



