killing the adults, may in time eventuate in a decrease of a 

 breed of animals, even in India. 



LXXXII. Otters do an immensity of injury in some 

 rivers, especially in those of hilly 



Otters as vermin. TJ.-J. Ji 1.1 i 



districts; and when they have ex- 

 hausted the fish, some turn their attention to frogs. Along 

 the Himalayas they abound, but at Gurwal are reported not 

 to destroy fish in the proportion man does, and offering 

 sufficient rewards would be very expensive (p. clviii). In 

 Jhansi they are included amongst the real enemies to fish 

 (p. clxvi), and that they destroy the large ones in the deep 

 pools of the rivers (p. clxvii). In Kumaon they are said to do 

 some little injury (p. civ), also in Malabar and elsewhere; 

 but until the more serious evil of standing fishing weirs and 

 traps are dealt with, perhaps the otters might be left alone. 

 An otter is not a fair eater : he prefers fish, but being an 

 epicure, he limits himself to their most tasty portions, of 

 which he takes a few mouthfuls, and, returning to the water, 

 repeats the operation. "Where fisheries are protected, and 

 not wastefully fished, these animals would certainly form 

 good objects for rewards : thus, amongst the excellent rules 

 proposed by the Dehra Doon Association, exists one of rewards 

 for otters. In Malabar otters form an article of food to 

 some of the lower castes. 



LXXXIII. There are other vermin destructive to fish, 

 but for which I do not propose any 



Minor vermin which kill fish. n , , , , J- 



rewards should be offered; there are 



birds of many sorts too numerous to mention in this place. 

 Likewise snakes, which luxuriate in irrigation canals, and 

 revel at large weirs. At the Upper Coleroon weir, as the freshes 

 began to subside, and only a little water was passing over the 

 apron, I could plainly perceive them watching to capture the 

 fish which were vainly endeavouring to ascend. I should 

 imagine that I never saw less than twenty every evening on 

 the down-stream face of this weir. I was present when the 

 water was cut off from the Eastern Jumna Canal, and num- 

 bers of large snakes were then to be seen. Tortoises and 

 turtles likewise are fish-consumers, whilst predaceous fakes 

 prey on their weaker neighbours, amongst which fresh- 

 water sharks are frequently mentioned as at (pp. civ, clxvi). 

 Near Ganjam an official informed me that he went out one 

 night to see how murrul, Opliiocephalus striatus, Bloch., 

 were captured. The native fisherman had provided himself 

 with a long flexible bamboo as a rod, whilst his hook was 



