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so that no passage exists for anything. ID midstream the screen opens 

 into a long and narrow passage walled and floored with the same 

 materials; and this terminates in a basket, named kotera, which is a 

 hamper made of reeds., into which a small orifice in the side gives 

 admittance to fish beneath the surface of the water, whilst the lid remains 

 above the surface, and is opened from time to time for the removal of the 

 spoil. As the water hardly finds its way through the interstices of the 

 screen, it rushes in a strong current along the passage, carrying the fish 

 with it, and a fall from the passage into the basket precludes all chance 

 of escape. The months during which the greatest destruction of fry 

 and small fish takes place are Sawan, Bhadon and Kuuwar. A consider- 

 able quantity is taken all over the surface of the inundated country, 

 both by means of traps, and nets, called jheenguree, a casting-net, and 

 eenliydree, one which is spread over the irrigated fields, and dragged 

 along the ground. It is called eenliydree because it has small pieces of 

 bone and brick attached to it, in order to attract the notice of the fish. 

 The small size of the ordinary mesh in nets is another important feature 

 in the progress of destruction. Being only a quarter of an inch or less 

 between the knots, it suffers very few fry to escape. The tehsildar of the 

 sudr tehsil remarks that there has been a continuous decrease in the 

 supply of fish in this district for the last twenty years/' It is proposed-^- 

 (1) to regulate the minimum size of the mesh of nets ; (2) that a close 

 season be instituted extending over the breeding period, and whilst young fry 

 are moving about ; (3) that the sale of fry be, as far as possible, prohibited ; 

 (4) that the construction of fishing dams be checked or regulated; if 

 permitted, they should not be used during the breeding season, and never 

 constructed of such close materials as at present; (5) that nets and 

 dams be licensed; (6) that rewards be given to informers ; (7) that the 

 destruction of spawn should be penal ; (8) that a small force or peons be 

 entertained to see the regulations carried out. The Collector of Bustee 

 (January 13th, 1872) reported, "I believe, no doubt, here as well as in. 

 every other part of India, the fisheries are not used to the best advantage, 

 and that if well-considered restrictive measures were introduced, the supply 

 of fish might be immensely increased." " Fish are killed, more or less, 

 throughout the year, but the largest numbers are taken towards the end o 

 the rainy season. As the waters fall, countless lakes or pools of all sizes are 

 formed on the low land by the rivers. These, which were, during the 

 floods, mere extensions of the streams, now become lakes with one narrow 

 exit to the river. Across this nets are stretched, or a weir of grass 

 constructed, and every fish that has wandered up becomes a certain prey, 

 being either caught at the weir, or left exposed as the waters fall. The 

 same process takes place on a smaller scale in every field that is under 

 water. The exit is closed, and countless small fish are taken. The 

 smaller streams, too, are dammed up, through their length, for irrigation 

 purposes ; and when no more water is required, a small opening is cut in 

 the dam : a basket, or most frequently a grass screen, is put in the opening, 

 which prevents the very smallest fish passing, and thus every one is 

 killed. But it is useless to detail what may be seen in almost every 

 district. During the rains it appears to be an instinct with every fish 

 to ascend the stream, even when there is barely sufficient water to cover 

 them, and having thus got into danger by resorting to the shallowest 



