1839.] Indian Cyprinidce. < 651 



where else to be collected regarding our indigenous species. The sea- 

 son of spawning, and places to which the various species resort for this 

 purpose — their food — the kind of waters in which they thrive best — 

 whether running or stagnant — with sandy or with muddy bottoms, — 

 would all be points of great interest that might be settled by persons of 

 no pretensions to a scientific knowledge of the subject. 



" With regard to the propagation of fishes, Mr. Yarrell remarks — that 

 an acre of water will let in many parts of the continent, where fresh 

 water fishes are in more request than in England, for more than an 

 acre of land. In no part of the continent of Europe, however, can 

 fresh-water fish be of so much importance as in India, where most of 

 the domestic animals which in Europe afford the principal food, as 

 the ox, swine, poultry, &c. are rejected by a large proportion of the 

 people. 



" 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 Hon'ble 

 Colonel Morison C. B.* as among the greatest national monuments 

 to be found in India. 



" They are capable, according to Euchanan,f of supplying water for 

 from eighteen months to two years, and thus of maintaining the sur- 

 rounding crops should no rain fall within that period. 



"They are drained by an ingenious system of sluices and aqueducts of 

 the most simple, but complete construction, which afford a perfect con- 

 trol over the distribution of the water. During the dry season they are 

 all pretty much exhausted, and may, if necessary for repairs, be left 

 perfectly dry. This would afford an excellent opportunity for destroy- 

 ing 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 ex- 

 terminated. 



" 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 



* To whom I am indebted for many particulars regarding them, 

 f See his Journey in Mysore. 



