262 Fishing on the Hill Sanatoria. CHAP. xix. 



preferred, from 8.30 or 9 A.M. till the afternoon. In the evening just 

 before dark, a light dun, almost white, fly is preferred, and especially 

 near the weeds at the edge, on which it seems to be bred. You* cannot 

 do much from the shore, and should have a boat, and let it drift. 

 There are boats belonging to the club, but they are in much request. 

 I had a single Berthon in which I was very close down to the water, 

 and scarcely dared sneeze. And subsequently I had a Hawker's shoot- 

 ing punt built for me at Madras, and took it up. The latter was just the 

 thing. It took two or three persons, and was safe for a lady, or you 

 could stand up and move in it. It is a sort of boat that any village 

 carpenter can build under your supervision. 



The young swim in shoals, the full grown ones singly. 



As to season, I found in July that the white fly in the evening had 

 past. In July the weather is boisterous. In August the fish began to 

 rise again. The best time seems to be May and June, and perhaps 

 from March. 



In January, 1886, I put in 8 Carnatic Carp, and in May, 1886, 20 

 Megalops cyprinoides . 



In the first week in June, 1887, I sent up the young of Mahseer, and 

 of Carnatic Carp, and the gentleman on the spot to whom I consigned 

 them, wrote *me that he turned into the lake 19 out of the 20 Mahseer 

 sent, alive and well, and the whole of the 60 Carnatic Carp sent, all 

 vigorous but one, which however recovered. I have heard no news 

 of them, though they ought to have made a show by this time, and to 

 improve the fishing in the lake. 



The Nilagiris. 



From the printed Government records I note that in 1867 Dr. 

 Day introduced into the Ootacamund Lake 16 Eels, 28 Carnatic 

 Carp, 2 Ophiocephalus marulius, 10 O. striatiis, 149 O. gachua, and 

 some Labeo, Dussumieri, Rasbora Nielgerriensis (which is the Nilagiri 

 indigenous minnow), Barilius rugosus (which is our modern friend 

 B. gatensis), Puntius gracilis (now known as Barbiis micropogori), Barbus 

 filamentosus, and six Gourami (Osphromenus olfax). The last-named 

 are said to have all died of the cold. Of the others nothing has since 

 been heard or seen, in the Ootacamund Lake. 



But as regards the Billikal Lake, there the Barbus Carnaticus, my 



