Ciiait. xxv. Fry in Pooh. 359 



six oi ten feel of water at the embankment, and this water served 

 in the dry season, and more especially in times of drought, the 

 treble purpose <>t' feeding wells and thus supplying drinking water 

 ti> tlic inhabitants, of watering tin- cattle of the agriculturists, arid 

 of keeping alive a nucleus of fish wherewith to re-stock the * 

 voir by natural breeding mi its refilling at the commencement of 

 the rains. The manner of constructing and repairing reservoirs, 

 and the restrictions necessary to prevent netting when they are so 

 tew that it is next to impossible for the fish to escape extermina- 

 tion, are among the matters to be considered in any legislation 

 calculated to meet the requirements of the east coast and interior, 

 equally with those of the west coast. 



Frii in Pools. 



51. Before quitting the subject of fry, it will be well to guard 



against misconception on one point. It lias been said that the whole 



river is frequently diverted into the rice-fields, 



and that none of the fry in the rice-fields 



escape destruction. It would be a not unnatural conclusion that 



it is meant to be conveyed that all the fry in 



Para. 34. " J 



the river are thus destroyed ; and so it would 



be if the spawning places alluded to were the only ones, and if the 



fry had not sometimes intermediate water deep 

 Parse. 87, 38, 29. ' . , . , ,. . . 



enough to satisfy their descending instinct. 



Hut fortunately the fish do not all spawn by one rule, so as 

 to make their fry all dependent on the accident of the suc- 

 - istrous issue of a single arrangement. The Mahseer 

 apparently go on spawning at different localities for three 

 months. Many will thus be below the dams when spawning, 

 and many again will be below the upper dams, and have miles 

 of deep water in -which to live between them and the lower 

 dams. This is the case It. There are four miles above and 



12 miles below it. altogether 16 miles, without a dam across the 

 river. Within this space there are many deep pools, which tempt 

 the big fish to stay, and which ahelve gradually up to very shallow 



water running over sand, gravel, or shingle. The shallow water 



at the tail of these pools is lmt, after the spawning time, liable to 



any great fluctuation in depth; for, however low the water in the 

 river, the water in the pool must necessarily rise to the same Level 



