( iiait. xxvi. /', rtility of Estuaries and Rivt n. 389 



fisheries, whose value is patent to all But 1 am met with the 

 objection that we have not, and cannol possibly have, any salmon 

 fisheries in India. We have, however, a very valuable sea fish, 

 the Hilsa (Clupea ilitha) which, like the Shad of America, ascends 

 our rivers after the manner of the salmon in England Now I find 

 i om Government Order, 28th June, L878, No. 984, thai one single 

 locality on one estuary of the Ganges supplied of this single fish 

 alone, the Hilsa, and that within three months, and salted, for the 

 return refers only to the fish salted at a single curing yard, no less 

 than 1.9,300 inaunds. It is also mentioned that there was a large 

 simultaneous demand for fresh Hilsa carried by rail to Calcutta 

 and elsewhere. What it was is not given, but if we put it down 

 at not less than the salted supply, we shall have .">S,r>un inaunds, 

 say 1.41S tons. 



It may fairly be thence concluded that the tonnage of fish to 

 !"• annually taken of all sorts, specially such as Mullets and 

 Megaflops Cyprinoides, and at all times, and from all the estuaries of 

 India, must Vie very considerable indeed; but I have no data 

 whereon to arrive at the roughest approximation. I can only omit 

 it, merely drawing attention to the fact that the quantity of food 

 here omitted from the calculation must lie very large indeed. 



•VI. As regards such of the rivers and lakes as are unassailable 

 by droughty I am again unable to give such accurate data of the 

 fertility of an acre as may serve whereon to base calculations. I 

 can only show generally extreme fertility far in advance of any 

 land. The American Pisciculturist Seth Green, writes : "Expend 

 " one thousandth part of the sum spent in tilling the laud in tilling 

 " the water, and fish may he sold in our markets at two cents a 

 " pound." Dr. F. Bucklapd says, that a salmon worth about as 

 much as a prime fed sheep can be bred for one farthing. As 

 regards India, I may instance the following experiment of my own. 

 Taking advantage of a pond, of about two or three acres, being 

 cleaned in 1875, I re-stocked it myself with carefully selected soils 

 offish. I spent 2 rupees. I put in not more than 2 lbs. weight of 

 fry. I gave 18 months' rest. I Hung in half a handful of snails to 



br 1. I did nothing elsa More than 4,000 lbs. weight of fish 



are now annually taken out of that pond without making any 

 impression on it. I should mention that the 2 rupees spent 

 included also the carriage of the fry from a distant river, fntrin- 



