Production of Isinglass on the Coasts of India. 109 

 Besides these there were imported into Madras : — 



Shark-fins § Fish-maws. 



1837-38. 



Imports— Fort St. George 



From Ceylon and Tranquebar 



From Ganjam, Vizagapatam, Rajahmundry, and 



along the Coast 



Fish-maws from Ragahmandry, Tanjore, 



Timmully, and Malabar 



Cwt. lbs. 



64 0 

 105 0 



Value. 

 Rs. 



252 



3,814 



Exports — 



To China and Straits of Malacca. . . . 

 From Tanjore to Straits of Malacca. 



1,043 0 

 39 0 



22,880 

 11,527 



From the quantities of Fish-maws which the author thus unex- 

 pectedly discovered, were exported, and the high price which was 

 paid for them, that is from 2s. \\d. to 2s. 6fd. a pound, he con- 

 cluded that the substance must be well known ; or if not the fish, at 

 least the part of the fish which was so called. But on inquiring of 

 several gentlemen well acquainted with the products and commerce 

 of Bombay, he was unable to obtain any more precise information 

 than he had already procured. He then applied to Mr. Malcolmson, 

 of the respected firm of Forbes and Co., to obtain for him the re- 

 quisite information, and, if possible, a sight of a specimen, if there 

 should be any in London. Mr. Malcolmson was good enough to send 

 him some specimens, of different sizes of the Bombay Fish-maws. 

 On examination, these proved to be composed of a sac-like mem- 

 brane, which had been slit open ; some were small, thin, and trans- 

 parent, others three and four inches across in both diameters, 

 something of the shape of short purses with spring clasps, of a light 

 colour, and semi-transparent, and resembling the ordinary qualities 

 of Isinglass, especially some of the Brazilian kinds, in appearance. 

 On submitting these to Mr. Yarrell, he pronounced both kinds to be 

 the Sound of a Fish which he thought might perhaps be the same 

 species, but at different ages, and that it was apparently allied to the 

 Gurnards. It is interesting to observe, Cuvier mentions that there 

 are species allied to Trigla hirundo (or the sapphirine Gurnard) 

 in India. 



Thus we see that fish-maws are Fish Sounds ; and as Fish Sounds 



