leEIPOIST 



ON THE 



EDIBLE FISHES OF LMvE MENZALEH 



THEIR CAPTURE AND PRESERVATION. 



Excellency, 



In the summer of last year I undertook, at the instance 

 of the Ministry of Pubhc Instruction, a mission to collect 

 specimens of the edible fishes of the country, and to inquh'e 

 into the methods of fishing and fish preserving practised 

 on lake Menzaleh. 



The plan I propose to follow throughout this report 

 which I now have the honour to submit to Your Excell- 

 ency is viz : 1st. To enumerate the various food fishes 

 caught, remarking on their yalue, frequency, and capture,' 

 and, 2nd, To deal with the methods employed in their 

 preservation. 



Although Suez, Assouan, and Lake Menzaleh were 

 visited, it is only the latter of whose fisheries I shall treat " 

 in extenso, those of the former being of limited, and more 

 or less local, importance. Indeed my journey to Assouan 

 had for its object the securing of specimens of Polypterus 

 bishir (j^.^' abu bichir), a fish rare in natural history 



