FISH OF CEYLON* 



133 



mud, or peat, scooped up from beneath. Some of the long grass 

 which grows on the surface is then laid over the thickened mud 

 in two strata, the stalks of which the one is composed being at 

 right angles with those composing the other. The whole is finished 

 off with a coating of mud. Nothing then remains to be done, but 

 to watch for the appearance of fish. The first indication of their 

 presence is the rising of bubbles of air; and in each instance when 

 these bubbles appeared, the natives, who were standing by, named 

 correctly the species of fish by which they were emitted, being 

 guided probably by their size, and by their coming up singly or in 

 larger numbers. After a bubble of air has appeared, but a short 

 time elapses before the head of a fish appears protruding above the 

 surface of the mud. There is no difficulty in securing a fish when 

 lie shews himself in this way, as the blades of grass, which have 

 been arranged so as to cross each other beneath the surface of the 

 mud, form a net through which he cannot readily force his way 

 back. 



I remained watching the process for about an hour, during which 

 I saw eleven fish taken, and the natives told me, that, as the day 

 advanced, larger fish would be caught, and in greater numbers. 

 None of those that I saw taken were large. They were of three 

 species — Connia (Ophio-cephalus) Magoora and Hoonga(Siluroids.) 



It is obvious that this mode of catching the fish is entirely based 

 upon the fact that they cannot breathe water, but are forced to 

 ascend at stated intervals to the surface, to breathe atmospheric 

 air — a fact which after I had verified it by drowning two or three 

 specimens by inverting a net over them, I communicated to Sir 

 Emerson Tennent,' who in his reply forwarded to me a copy of a 

 letter from Professor Huxley, which contains the following passage. 

 <{ Your correspondent's experiments on the respiration of the fish 

 are most interesting, and I trust he will continue them. It would 

 be a great fact should he establish the point he seems to be aiming 

 at, viz., that these fish habitually breathe air rather than water." 

 I had already fully satisfied myself of the fact of which Mr. Huxley 



