14 BIRDS AND FISH. 



The following animals of Indian sport are not found in Mysore :- 



Birds. — Jungle-fowl, pea-fowl, and spur-fowl are common in the woods ; 

 bustard, floriken, red-legged partridge, quail, and rock-grouse in the open 

 country ; and wild duck, teal, snipe, wild geese, flamingoes, pelicans, and 

 cranes in the lakes and rice-fields. Doves of several varieties are common 

 both in the woods and open country. 



Fish. — The rivers and artificial lakes in Mysore abound with excellent 

 fish, but I have never succeeded in getting much sport with the fly. They 

 may be taken by spinning or ground fishing — the latter chiefly at night. 

 There is now in the museum at Bangalore the head and skin of a fish — a 

 species of carp or mahseer, and called hilli, or silver-fish, in Canarese — 

 caught by me in 1871 in the Lutchmenteert, which measured 60 inches in 

 length and 38 in girth. The circumference inside the mouth when caught 

 was 24 inches. I was unfortunately unable to weigh this fish, but I esti- 

 mated it by rough tests at not less than 100 lb. I have seen much larger 

 fish, without doubt upwards of 1 5 lb., caught by natives, chiefly by netting 

 during the months when the rivers are low. At such times two or three 

 villages of professional fishermen will combine to net a single large fish 

 known to be a prisoner in a pool during the hot weather. The pool may 

 be a hundred yards long and broad, and the water fifteen feet deep, with 

 cavernous rocks capable of sheltering fish ; but by joining their nets, and 

 diving and working for two or three days, they seldom fail to secure the 

 prize. 



The few crocodiles that are found in the Mysore rivers very rarely 

 attack people ; and fishermen — who pay no heed to them — have told me 

 that if they come upon a crocodile whilst following their employment, it will 

 skulk at the bottom and not move though handled, apparently believing it 

 escapes observation. Crocodiles are, like all wild creatures, very tiinid 

 where not encouraged, as is sometimes done by superstitious natives. In- 



Jerdon's Mammals of India. 



