284 Stocking Ponds. Chapt. xxir. 



though one does not see so many flies on the water as in an English 

 trout stream. Fish are preyed on by more and larger animals in 

 India than in England, which indicates that it is necessary to make 

 greater provision to prevent their over increasing ; in other words, 

 the scale against them has to be more heavily weighted to maintain 

 Nature's balance. The greater, then, is the advantage to man when, 

 by excluding predatory animals, he monopolises the preying. Both 

 countries have otters, but England has no crocodiles, and its Pike and 

 Perch can bear no comparison to the numerous and large sized species 

 of predatory fish from Freshwater Sharks, of sorts, of 136 lbs. 

 downwards through Ophiocepaii, Macrones, Callichrous, Arius, and 

 many others, down to the little Ophioccpalus gachua, and the very 

 legion of frogs that prey upon fry, all which run riot in Indian 

 waters. Salmon, it is true, despoil a river when they take posses- 

 sion of it, but even they are a trifle beside the armies of predatory 

 fish to be found in Indian rivers. Even its very carp run in the 

 Mahseer to as big as a man, and live largely on other fish. 



