1865. ] MR. F. DAY ON THE FISHES OF COCHIN. 5 
legislative enactment ; but in India they have not yet met with the 
attention they deserve. Along the Malabar coast, since fish have 
obtained such a ready market, the number of fishermen has greatly 
increased, and instead of there being, as formerly, competition for the 
post of panlanquin-bearers, they are procured with the greatest dif- 
ficulty, which no doubt is partly owing to the augmented profits of 
the fishermen. 
The Western Ghauts are gradually becoming studded with coffee- 
plantations, and the coolies employed on them are glad to purchase 
all the salt fish they can obtain. Probably, at no distant date, the 
coffee-planter will unite with the philanthropist in desiring that the 
western-coast fisheries may be turned to greater advantage for the 
supply of human food. The first step towards this desirable result 
must be some diminution or alteration in the salt-tax, or rather in 
the price of salt, which is now a monopoly of the British and native 
governments. But this is a subject for the politician and financier, 
not for the naturalist, to solve ; but such a result would undoubtedly 
prove to Malabar humane, beneficial, and politic. 
LATES CALCARIFER, Bloch. 
Nuddee-meen (Malayalim). 
B.vii. D. 72. P.17. Vt. AZ. C.17. 1.1.52. Litre 7 
8—9 11° 
Length of specimens*, from 6,3, to 2254; inches. 
This large grey Perch is well entitled to his distinctive native name 
of “The River-fish,” for in Cochin it must be ranked as amongst 
the best of the finny tribes. It is also called the ‘ Nair-fish,”’ be- 
cause the Nairs, although Sudras, are considered the nobility of 
Malabar. 
Plentiful ; but held in too great a request for the table to be salted 
or dried. The best quality of “Tamarind-fish”’ is prepared from 
it by the following process :—The fish is boiled, then the bones are 
removed ; it is next sliced, and, having been highly spiced, is left to 
soak for some days, and subsequently packed in jars. This is held 
in great estimation in the East. 
It is caught up to 5 feet in length ; but the largest fish are not the 
best for eating. 
SERRANUS BONTOO, Cuy. & Val. 
B.vii. D.U. P.19. V.t. A. 3. C.17. L. 1. about 100. 
Length of specimen 13 inches. 
Colours. Brownish grey on the back, fading to dirty white on the 
abdomen. When first caught, they have generally five or six dark 
* These figures denote the largest and smallest specimens in my collection, 
but not the largest obtained in Cochin. 
+ L.r. is used in this paper to denote the number of rows of scales, passing 
Samael to the lateral line; and L.1. the number of scales along the lateral 
ine. 
