98 A Notice of Indian CyprinidcB. 



sam, we may form a conception of the inexhaustible supply of 

 fish that might be procured for consumption in other parts of the 

 country where they are less plentiful." p. 384. Several species 

 are useful not merely as an article of food ; speaking of Cyprinus 

 cursis, Dr. M'Clelland observes, "It is a beautiful fish, common 

 in Bengal and Assam as high as Sudyah, but being full of bones, 

 is little valued as an article of food. If it be less useful in this 

 respect than other Cirrhins, it is more serviceable than we are 

 aware of, in common with the numerous Gudgeons, in clearing 

 the indolent waters of the plains from a redundancy of vegeta- 

 tion with which they would otherwise be choked up." p. 330. 

 Many of the species are of great value as excellent and nutritious 

 food, and might be rendered infinitely more so, could they be 

 salted when taken, or be transported and allowed to propagate in 

 other portions of the country. Thus the Barhus megalepis, 

 which is an admirable fish, is "peculiar to remote, unpopulated 

 districts, where no attempts are made to cure ; they are con- 

 sequently lost to the wants of other places, where an unlimited 

 demand for dried fish must prevail at all seasons, but particularly 

 during the rains and hot weather, when fresh fish become scarce. 

 There can be no doubt that if some relaxation of salt duties 

 could be made in favor of those who would embark in such a 

 busines-s, a profitable and useful trade might be established to a 

 far greater extent than we can at present form any notion of. 

 The season for fishing is short, and without the means of saving 

 more than can be consumed when fresh, the fishermen have 

 nothing to stimulate them to any exertion beyond that of earn- 

 ing during their brief season, a sufficient sum to support them 

 during the rest of the jeax. Had the fisherman the means of pre- 

 serving the results of his labor, his chief market would commence 

 when the fishing season ends, and his industry would then be- 

 come a permanent benefit to himself and to the country at large. 

 Sea fisheries would be of still higher importance, although nei- 

 ^ther should be neglected. The cold season, from November to 

 February, is the time at which fishes ai'e chiefly taken ; the wa- 

 ters being then low, the fish are confined to narrow channels, 

 and are often completely cut off from the larger streams and left 

 in pools, in which they are easily secured. When passing Sola- 

 no Mookh with the Assam deputation in January, I saw boats 

 laden with most of the five kinds of Barbels just described, from 



