A Notice of Indian CyprinidcB. 99 



one to two and a half feet in length ; but as Suddyah, the nearest 

 market at which they could probably be disposed of, was thirty 

 miles distant, and a strong current to be opposed in reaching that 

 place, and no means of curing the fish, the owners entertained 

 little hopes of realizing any thing whatever by them." p. 339. 



To the important subject of transporting fishes from one pond 

 or river to another, our author has given much attention, and his 

 suggestions are worthy the notice of the government of India. 

 We are told, that " throughout the Mysore country, as well as in 

 many of the western provinces, large tanks or reservoirs occur, 

 many of them from three to thirty miles in circumference, and 

 being indispensable for irrigation, may be supposed to be nearly 

 universal in all populous districts not watered by rivers. These 

 reservoirs are considered by the honorable Col. Morison, C. B. as 

 among the greatest national monuments to be found in India. 

 They are capable, according to Buchanan, of supplying water 

 for from eighteen months to two years, and thus of maintaining 

 the surrounding crops should no rain fall within that period. 



" They are drained by an ingenious system of sluices and aque- 

 ducts of the most simple but complete construction, which afford 

 a perfect control over the distribution of the water. During the 

 dry season they are all pretty much exhausted, and may, if ne- 

 cessary for repairs, be left perfectly dry. This would afford an 

 excellent opportunity for destroying crocodiles and all the various 

 destructive fishes, sparing only the more profitable kinds, which 

 are limited to two or three species only ; and by repeating this 

 operation for several seasons, or as often as may be necessary, all 

 but those we wish to propagate would soon be exterminated. 



" By a wise law of nature, the carnivorous animals of every class 

 are less prolific than the harmless, and may therefore be the more 

 easily subdued. Nearly all the destructive fishes are viviparous, 

 bringing forth comparatively few young ; whereas, the more pro- 

 fitable kinds, or those which should be the objects of our care, 

 are all oviparous, and bring forth their young from spawn. 



"A single female carp weighing only nine pounds, has been 

 found by Dr. Locke to contain no less than six hundred thousand 

 ova ; and by Schneider, one, ten pounds weight, was found to 

 contain seven hundred thousand ova or eggs. 



" The fecundity of the Huee, Catla, and Alrigala, has not yet 

 been ascertained, but from their close affinity to the carp we may 



