( SO ) 



not escape this general hunt, to which the persecuted piscine 

 tribes are subjected. In South Canara (p. xcii), men 

 search in 4;he rivers for hillocks wherein spawn has been 

 left, gather the ova, and make it into cakes which are consi- 

 dered a delicacy. In the North- Western Provinces (p. clix) at 

 Goruckpur, the Mallahs and Kewats dig up the spawn of fish, 

 and after having prepared it, either sell or consume it. 



VERMIN WHICH DESTROY FISH. 



LXXIX. What are the vermin which are inimical to 

 fish? A difficulty arises in commen- 



Crocodiles as vermin. * . . , . , . 7 



cing this subject, as to whether to 



begin with those which are most destructive to them in their 

 ova state as fry, or when more mature. One Commissioner 

 (p. clxvii) considers that my proposition of offering 

 rewards for crocodiles appears to him absurd, and that " it 

 would be equally or more advisable to proscribe frogs and 

 paddy-birds which eat the spawn and young fry, and probably 

 destroy far more fish than the crocodile." One step further, 

 perhaps, might be suggested, that natives provided with 

 microscopes should be entertained to examine all the spawn- 

 ing beds of fishes, in order to detect and eradicate the micro- 

 scopic vermin which destrpy the fertility of the fish-ova : or 

 peons armed with nets be sent to arrest the water-beetles 

 that make a meal of fish-eggs. Setting aside, however, such 

 ultra views, I propose commencing with the crocodiles, of 

 which there are two distinct genera in the waters of India. 

 The Assistant Commissioner of Delhi suggested one rupee per 

 running foot be paid for them : whilst the Madras Revenue 

 Board proposed a somewhat smaller scale (p. Ixxiv). Also 

 in the Agra Division (p. clxxi), that "any effective measures 

 for reducing the enormous number of crocodiles in our rivers 

 would do much more, than any restriction on fishing, to 

 increase the quantity of fish in them. The destruction of 

 crocodiles' eggs could no doubt be extensively effected by 

 the offer of an adequate reward. But any such scheme, to be 

 of use, would have to be carried out, not only in these pro- 

 vinces, but all down the length of the rivers which traverse 

 them : otherwise, so fast as the crocodiles were destroyed here, 

 others would travel up and take their places from below." 

 Likewise the Officiating Collector of Etawah observes 

 (p. clxxi) that, "if Government will give a reward for 

 crocodiles' eggs, there is no doubt that plenty would be 

 brought in." 



