App. E. Spawning. Molluscs. 297 



individual in a thousand would be grown enough to make 

 of them a comfortable mouthful. Furthermore, even 

 those fish which can eat a larger fish than their neigh- 

 bours can, not unfrequently take smaller ones by pre- 

 ference. There would be few indeed then of the predatory 

 fish that would habitually prey upon the fish which can 

 be taken by the 2-inch mesh and escape the 4-inch mesh. 

 As they are not only not required then by the larger fish, 

 but would also be likely to injure them by out-numbering 

 and starving them, and especially their young, if given 

 immunity from the netting to which the larger sorts are 

 subject, would it not be advisable to add them to the food 

 of the people, and to that end to permit a mesh calculat- 

 ed to catch them? Such a mesh, it is repeated, is one 

 2 inches in circumference. 



Spawning. 

 84. The quantity of spawn contained in each fish has 

 been but slightly tested. As far as examination has been 

 made, Indian fish seem to be as prolific as others. 



A mahseer of 6| lbs. contained 13,219 eggs, which is 2,115 to the pound. 



„ 11J „ 10,587 „ 941 „ 



„ 6 „ 9,444 „ 1,574 „ 



„ H „ 12,440 „ 2,163 



„ 3i „ 4,350 „ 1,243 



5 „ 6,034 „ 1,206 



Average 1,540 „ 



Molluscs. 

 105. But fishes are not the only food contained in 

 Cyclas. the rivers. There are tons and tons 



the species"' W ° °f molluscs which are collected with 



38 



