248 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



charring rice, mixing it with " ghee " (clarified butter), and 

 extending the mark as the tail of the fish on to the cheek» 

 Meenakshi, a favourite Tamil name for a girl, means fish-eyed. 



It is related that the patriarch Manu (Noah of the Scriptures) 

 caught a small fish which begged for its life and promised a 

 reward for its preservation. Manu thereupon put it back again 

 into the water. When the great deluge came and he took refuge 

 in the ark, the friendly fish reappeared and towed the boat by a 

 rope attached to its horn, until at last, on the waters subsiding, 

 the ark grounded on the mountain-top. : ■ 



Matsya, the fish avatar of Vishnu and also the first avatar 

 of the god, came about in this way. The four-headed Brahma 

 at the beginning gave forth a Veda from each of his four mouths. 

 The four brothers, Mathukaitapas, the rakshasas (demons) 

 stole them, and in order to avoid capture left the land and took 

 to the sea, thinking to be safer there. They did not escape, for 

 Vishnu, assuming the shape of a fish, pursued them. When 

 the brothers perceived this, they changed themselves into little 

 children and swam to the god for protection. Vishnu, however, 

 when they reached him, hugged them all so close to his breast 

 that he slew them, and so recovered the priceless Vedas. 



This event took place at the time of the great flood. One 

 account states that the fish which befriended Manu and saved 

 the ark, with its occupants, was Matsya. 



Amphibia. — Frogs are not favourites in India. The common 

 " Chunam Frog " {Rhacophorus) is detested and feared by 

 women, because, if one leaps upon an expectant mother, the 

 child born will be sickly and lean as the frog itself. Should a 

 woman be touched by the animal, all evil consequences may be 

 averted by catching a " Chunam Frog," killing it, frying it in 

 oil, and then giving the baby a few drops of the liquid to drink. 

 Rhacophorus is also held responsible for destroying the coconut 

 in the nut. In order to bring this destruction about, the Frog 

 climbs the palm and merely smells the fruit. When chased or 

 handled, this Frog has the nasty habit of expelling the contents of 

 the bladder, and it is commonly believed that if the fluid touches 

 the skin it will cause a wound which will be painful and slow to heal. 



Eeptilia. — This class contains the Crocodiles, Lizards, 

 Snakes, and Turtles, all of which are found in India. The 



