Indian Cyprinidm. 



exist in the neighbourhood. The spawning season of the Ruee and 

 other Cirrhins, appears to be in the dry weather; the contrivance 

 here suggested would therefore protect them at that time, and if 

 there should be any danger of the whole of the water drying up, 

 wells of sufficient size and depth might be formed within the en- 

 closure, to which the fishes would retire during droughts, while the 

 shallow waters around the wells would afford space enough for the 

 deposit of spawn. 



" Much of our success would depend on keeping those enclosures 

 as free as possible from all but the species we desire to propagate. 

 At the commencement of the dry season, before the fish begin to 

 enter the enclosure, the interval between the stakes might be closed 

 with straw, and as the water becomes sufficiently low without, most 

 of the rapacious kinds may be removed or destroyed ; none should 

 be allowed to remain but that species alone which may be the object 

 of our care. This done, the only further attention necessary, would 

 be to save the fish in the enclosure from birds during the remainder 

 of the dry season. 



" Should our success be complete, from every moderately sized 

 female Ruee we should have, on the commencement of the rains, 

 from five to ten hundred thousand fry, which, as the waters rise, 

 would be quite able to take care of themselves till the next season, 

 when it would be necessary again to destroy the rapacious kinds 

 as before." " On the fishes of Bengal, Assam, and other provinces 

 subject to the inundations of the larger rivers, we can exercise 

 no control, nor is it desirable that we should, even were it in our 

 power, the supply of fish being plentiful and constant enough ; but in 

 the higher parts of the plains, near the foot of the mountains, where 

 the larger Cirrhins and Barbels retire during the dry season for the 

 purpose of spawning, fisheries might be carried on with advantage 

 to a considerable extent." p. 461. 



As some species of the Indian fishes are found only in clear and 

 rapid streams, they would not probably thrive well, if at all, in tanks 

 where the waters would be still. Should it be considered desirable 

 to propagate to any extent such species, our author suggests, that 

 " the most suitable vivarium for such species might be formed 

 by stopping up a clear mountain stream to a certain depth, and fil- 



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