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diles on the Bralirnaputra is beyond all proportion greater 

 than what is destroyed by man, and it would seem, there- 

 fore, that the first duty of a system of fish-conservancy for 

 that river would be the killing of the crocodiles." The Col- 

 lector of South Canara considers (Oct. 25th, 1872) that a 

 most important subject is the destruction of crocodiles and 

 their eggs, as well as otters. " Much of the preservation 

 of fishes will be in vain if their natural enemies have liberty 

 to feed and increase on them." Also in the North- West 

 Provinces (p. clxiv), that "there is no doubt crocodiles de- 

 stroy large quantities of fish, and might themselves be de- 

 stroyed with very little trouble." Their destructiveness 

 is also referred to at Jhansi (pp. clxvi, clxvii). Doubt- 

 less crocodiles have a redeeming quality, being the na- 

 tural scavengers of rivers (p. clxxii), but against this 

 may be placed the destruction of the lives of human beings 

 and cattle yearly caused by them. If the fisheries become 

 much further depopulated, from whence are these reptiles 

 to obtain food ? Human beings are no longer permitted to 

 immolate themselves at the side of the Ganges, nor are 

 relatives allowed, as a last filial duty, to fill their expiring 

 parents' mouths with mud from its sacred bed, neither are 

 corpses interred in that holy stream, so food must be dimi- 

 nishing. If fish likewise become insufficient, these reptiles 

 will be compelled by the natural law of self-preservation to 

 help themselves to cattle from the neighbouring country, or else 

 feed on such human beings as unwarily approach too close 

 to the waters they reside in. And this is no fancy sketch, but 

 the simple fact. I will only adduce two instances. At Cullara, 

 five miles below Kendraputna in the Nuna river, is a hole 

 to which crocodiles resort in the dry season. Of course the 

 fish in such pools are soon exhausted, and a short time 

 before I was there in 1868 these monsters had carried oif five 

 adalts. Near the Baropa weir two women and one horse 

 were carried off in a single month by crocodiles in the 

 Mundapur tank. However, taking all things into consi- 

 derations, rewards for the destruction of crocodiles, usually 

 termed man-eaters, might be fairly offered in certain 

 localities for them or their eggs. Small rewards for the 

 latter, it is observed (p. cli), would aid in the extermina- 

 tion of the reptiles, and this could be easily arranged for. 

 Another result would be gained by demonstrating, and 

 may be convincing, even those who are now averse to 

 believe that destroying the eggs and the young, as well as 



