116 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Voi. XIII. 
again down on the creeks and back-waters about Cochin, and, in fact, wher- 
ever a tidal creek has long sloping muddy banks, there is to be found often- 
times in incredible numbers, a curious looking little creature, or rather a 
newt-like little fish (Periopthalmus kelreuteri), which is amphibious, and 
which lives more than half its time out of the water basking on the slimy 
muddy banks, When disturbed it wriggles along, flopping its eel-like tail, 
and with the aid of its pectoral fins hops back down into the water. You 
will see them sometimes in thousands lying on the mud just at the water line 
with a rising tide, or swimming about with only just their curious prominent 
eyes above water, and as the water rises, so do they creep further and further 
up the bank and at times they are found quite inland among the grass and 
roots of trees. These appear to be the favourite food of the “ dangara, ” and 
though a shy fish they will venture into the very shallowest water in search 
of them. 
Continuing my remarks on that curious little creature or rather a newt- 
like little fish (Periopthalmus kelreuteri) they appear to be the favourite 
food of the dangara and are the very best and deadliest bait that can be 
used, but your success with dangara will depend entirely upon your hitting 
off the time of tide and choosing the localities known to be affected by both 
the dangara itself and by the small mud fish that it is so fond of. Right 
opposite the pier at Keamari on the swamp before mentioned, and near the 
old Quarantine Hospital for small-pox, several of these creeks debouch, and 
right in the eddies and backwaters caused by the rising tide at the very 
entrance to these creeks is, I think, the best place I know. The dangara is a 
curious fish, He takes the bait in a very quiet manner, No rush, no fuss, but 
at the same time no nonsense ; he just gulps it in and lies quiet, and manya - 
time you will think that you are fast in the bottom instead of fast in a fish, 
Then, as likely «s not, he will begin to move quietly away, and the bigger the 
fish the quieter will be the whole proceeding ; but if you think that you are 
going to have matters all your own way, you will very soon and very sudden- 
ly be undeceived. As he moves away you tighten up your line for a minute 
or so to see if the hook be home, and as likely as not you will rouse his anger 
by this proceeding, and then he is off, not a lightning-like rush like the 
bahmin’s, but an absolutely irresistible movement through the water which 
you had better not try to stop or else a smash-up is inevitable. They also 
make much longer runs at a time, when once started, than do most large fish, 
and I have had very moderate-sized fish go out with 200 yards without a 
stoppage, and then had to follow them, but they seldom make more than one 
long run, and if you can keep on terms with them until that is finished the 
chances then are distinctly in your favour. I one evening caught eight fish, 
the largest about 183 lbs., and every fish ran well at first and took not less 
than 100 yards of line, but I got every fish that night, though it was dark 
and I seldom saw anything of the fish until 1t was near enough to net, 
