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taking- the Jumna as an instance, and I could adduce more, it possesses 

 the Okla one below Delhi, and the Karra one higher up for the Eastern 

 Jumna canal, and a third for the Western. If fishing- ones are alluded to, 

 I would refer to the reports of officers in the hill ranges, and fishing-weirs 

 are more numerous in many rivers than here stated. That these weirs can 

 do but little harm, I also refer to the reports from local officers who have 

 watched their effects. My personal opinion is in accordance with that 

 of the British law, that fishing-weirs are a public nuisance.] The Col- 

 lector of Jompur (20th March 1872) observed : "This district is traversed 

 by the Goomtee and Sair, and it is from these rivers chiefly that the 

 supply of fish is drawn ." " The supply of fish rarely exceeds the demand, 

 and often, especially in the dry season, falls far short of it." " Fishermen 

 assert that of late years the supply of fish has decreased." "The cost of 

 fish has undoubtedly increased." The breeding season is that " when 

 most fish are taken ; both breeding and very young ones are captured 

 without limit or reserve in the streams, and during the rains in the 

 open fields." Tanks are stocked with fry obtained at this period. A 

 close season might be imposed, and the months of Jeth and Asarh 

 would be the most appropriate. The Officiating Collector of Futtehpur 

 (March 22nd, 1872) reported that breeding-fish and very small ones 

 are caught to a great extent, by nets and hooks, injhils, tanks and 

 rivers during the rains ; the smallest size mesh of the nets being 

 almost of an inch ; no regular fishing class exists. The Collector 

 of Allahabad (April 8th, 1872) remarked that " there is no doubt 

 that destruction of fish of all sizes and at all seasons of the year takes 

 place, especially in the Ganges and Jumna, not only by fishermen, but 

 any persons who can get hold of a hand-net. This is particularly prac- 

 tised after a flood, when it is by no means uncommon to see small fry 

 being captured by traps, hand-nets, &c., in the small rivulets from 

 which they are trying to escape into the river on abatement of the 

 floods/' The smallest mesh employed is said to be J of an inch, and 

 that there would be no difficulty in regulating it at 1 inches. The chief 

 destructors of small fry are crocodiles and fish of prey. [When I 

 was at this town at the commencement of February 1870, a deficiency 

 of fish was complained of, and as I went daily to the markets, I think 

 1 may personally agree that the complaint was well founded. The fisher- 

 men asserted that the supply had decreased of late years and the de- 

 mand increased, whilst the same views seemed to be held by the vendors 

 in the market. At the height of the monsoon, or the end of July and 

 the commencement of August, I was likewise at the place, and found 

 a varying amount of fish being brought to market, spent fish were being 

 sold, also young fry as fine as a straw, of species which attain a hundred 

 or more pounds in weight. Thousands of young fish were being daily 

 ptured, whilst the poverty of the river, as giving a sufficient supply, 

 ts being complained of. The cause was obvious, and the remedy is 

 clear.] The Officiating Collector of Hunipur (February 6th, 1872) 

 lied that " breeding-fish and very young ones are not destroyed to any 

 at extent in this district. What fish are taken are caught in the 

 umna and Betwa Rivers, and in tanks. The smallest size of mesh em- 

 ployed is so small that a grain of gram cannot pass through it. There 

 ould be little difficulty in regulating its minimum size, as there are 



