205 



CHAP. IV. 



FISHES. 



As yet little j^is been done in the examination and de- 

 scription of the fishes of Ceylon, especially those which 

 frequent the rivers and inland waters. Mr. Bennett, who 

 was for some years employed in the Civil Service, directed 

 his attention to the subject, and published in 1830 some 

 portions of a projected work on the marine ichthyology 

 of the island *, but it never proceeded beyond the de- 

 scription of about thirty specimens. The great work 

 of Cuvier and Valenciennes 2 particularises about one 

 hundred species, specimens of which were procured from 

 Ceylon by Eeynard Leschenault and other correspond- 

 ents, but of these not more than half a dozen belong to 

 fresh water. 



The fishes of the coast, so far as they have been 

 examined, present few that are not common to the 

 seas of Ceylon and India. A series of drawings, includ- 

 ing upwards of ^ix hundred species and varieties, of 

 Ceylon fish, all made from recently-captured specimens, 

 has been submitted to Professer Huxley, and a notice 

 of their general characteristics forms an interesting article 

 in the appendix to the present chapter. 3 



Of those in ordinary use for the table the finest by 

 far is the Seir-fish 4 , a species of scomber, which is called 

 Tora-malu by the natives. It is in size and form very 

 similar to the salmon, to which the flesh of the female 

 fish, notwithstanding its white colour, bears a very close 

 resemblance both in firmness and flavour. 



1 A Selection of tfu> most Remark- 

 able ivtcl Intere-ttinr/ i-Ww.s found on 

 'the Coast of Ceylon, By J. W. BES- 

 JTETT, Esq. Loudon, 1830. 



- Ilixtoire Xntin-eUc des Poissons. 

 8 See note C to this chapter. 

 4 Cybium (Scomber, Linn.) guf.- 

 tatum. 



