434 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
or commencement of June, ascending some of our largest rivers 
to spawn. In India another Shad—termed “ Pulla” in the Indus, 
“Ulum” by the Tamils, ‘“‘Sable-fish” by the Madrassees, 
“ Palasah” by the Telingis, ‘“Hilsa” or “Ilisha” in Bengal, 
“Nga-tha-louk” by the Burmese—is very similar in many respects 
to the British species, while it is also anadromous, breeding in 
rivers as already described. In Sind they ascend the Indus in 
February to spawn, descending in September. In the Cauvery, 
in Madras, they pass up when the first burst of the June monsoon 
fills the river, and they continue doing so for the succeeding four 
months. In the Kistna, which has a far greater velocity, but, 
similarly to the Cauvery, is filled in June, they defer their ascent 
until September, but it is not until the end of the month, or 
commencement of October, when the river is subsiding and its 
velocity decreasing, that the majority arrive ; whereas in the neigh- 
bouring river, the Godavery, in which the current is less rapid, 
J Giattii 
these fishes ascend earlier to spawn, being most numerous from 
July to September. In the Hooghly they continue ascending 
throughout the June monsoon, and many are found still in roe 
in September. The main bodies of these fish ascend the large 
rivers of India and Burma generally when the June monsoon 
commences, but not always at the same period, the ascent at 
times being dependent upon the rapidity of the current and other 
causes. That it is not solely due to the presence of rain-water 
flooding the rivers is evident, because those of the Indus and 
Irrawaddi are mainly caused by melting snows at this period; — 
and in the latter river these fishes push on to Upper Burma, to — 
which country the monsoon scarcely extends, but where the 
inundations are due to snow-floods. The cause of the majority 
of fishes at these various periods ascending the different rivers to 
spawn may be due to their having been bred there, while inherited 
instinct causes them to select the most suitable times, when the 
shallows are covered with water and ascent is rendered practicable. — 
It has been remarked that occasionally a very cold winter retards 
the breeding of the Salmon and their allies; and Dr. John Davy 
observed, at Eisenhartz, that he obtained Charr just about to 
spawn at the end of May, while in England they spawn in the 
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winter, and he considers this must depend upon the weather. 
“Tf,” says that excellent observer, ‘‘summer is the spawning time 
of the Charr and ‘Trout in the lakes of Southern Austria, it is 
