Dec ], 1898.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
391 
FISHCULTUKE IN CEYLON. 
We are pleased to learn that under the aus- 
pices of the energetic Honorary Secretary to the 
Ceylon Fisliing Club au effort is to be nivide to 
find out the best kinds of fresh water tithes suit- 
able for stocking' the Nuwara Eliya lake for food 
purposes as well as " sport." The funds of the 
Fishing Club, we are glad to understand, arc 
equal to some little outlay in this direction 
and the matter will probably be bronght np at 
next niontli's meeting. In the meantime we have 
a correspondent elsewhere today asking for in- 
formation in regard to the Gouramie, and he 
reminds us that an acre of water ought to pro- 
duce a greater weight of food than an acre of 
land ! In that case Nuwara Eliya lake ought 
certainly to be nuich more useful than it is, apart 
from the advantages it offers to anglers. In res- 
pect of lish-culturo, as in some otherthings, Ceylon 
IS much behind India and still farther behind the 
Dutch Dependency of Java. The late lanienteil Mr. 
Moens of the Java cinchona plantations used to 
declare that Pisciculture in the Netherlands In- 
dia Colony is scarcely second in importance to 
Agriculture. "Thenatites here, "said Mr. Woens 
" get two crops of nearly equal value from their 
fields, first tlie harvest of paddy and then the har- 
vest of fish." The prevalent lish in Java is a good- 
sized carp, coloured like gold-fish, and we believe 
it to be allied to, if not identical with, tlie very 
Gouramie our correspondent is enquirijig about. 
At any rate Mr. jNIoens is strongly of opinion 
that if we had not already got it in Ceylon, it 
might well be introduced liere, ami wouhl be 
certain to flourish. But in reality the list of 
good fresh-water fish in Ceylon is by no means a 
S2ant one. What appears to be needed is the 
stocking and proper culture of the best kinds in 
ponds and tanks after a fashion which is most 
profitably prevalent in and around Calcutta, and 
also in many of the tanks in Southern India. 
Our correspondent refers to the Tropical Agri- 
Oidfuist of a tew montlis ago. But that was only a 
pissing reference, whereas in earlier volume, of 
our periodical there are some extremely valuable 
papers dealing with the known fresh-wat.er fish 
in Ceylon most worthy of attention from piscicul- 
turists. Meantime to satisfy our correspondent's 
enquiry we copy from " The Fauna of British 
India" (Fishes, Vol. II. by Day), the description 
of the genus to which the Gouramie belongs 
and also a note on that particular fish showing 
that its habitat i.s China and the Malay 
Archipelago, but that it has been naturalised 
in Mauritius and Australia, and introduced near 
Calcutta, Madras and the Nilgiris ;— also that 
it is a fish which attains a weight of twenty 
pounds, and is excellent eating -yvhe;! taken 
care of. We quote as follows :— 
3. Genus Osphromenus* (Commerson), Lacepsde. 
Syn. Tiichcims, Lacep. ; Ctenops, McClelland ; 
Tiichopsi.i, Kuer. 
* Oephromeuus olfax, ConinierBou, 
Osphromfinus olfax, Hai-d'cicke, Zool. Jonrn. iv. p. 
313 Daij, Fish. India, p. 372, pt. Ixxix, fif;. 6 (seesynon) 
OijphronienuB gonrami, Criv. & Val. II. lY, Poise. 
vii, p. 377, pi. 108 (immature). 
D. ll-l.f/11-12. A. 9-12/19-21. • L. 1. 30-38, L. tr. 
5-8/13. Yert. 12/18-1',). 
The abdominal profile more couvtx than the dorsal. 
Vinx — dorsal commencing above origin of anal, iu 
anterior half of body ; gpinea iiicreiisin^ in length 
to last, sixth and seventh rays longest; hrat ventral 
ray reaches base o( caudal. Colours — gieeni^h brovm, 
lighter balow ; four or five vertical bauds in the iui- 
Branchiostegals six. Body moderately elevate 
compreBsed. Opercle without a spine ; opercula 
pieces serrated in the immature, .Mouth small, 
oblique, protractile. Small end fixed teeth in the 
jaws, none on the palate. One dorsal fin, its spi- 
nous por'icn sometimes in excess, bnt generally 
less in extent than its soft part. Anal spines in 
varying numbers. Outer Tentral ray long, tiifiform, 
the remainder be-icg generally rudimentary. Scales 
fetcnoid, and of moderate size. Lateral line, when 
present, uninterrupted. Air-bladder present. Pylo- 
ric e.ppendagsa two. 
Geor/rapMca.l Disinlution. South-eastern Asia and 
Malay Archipelago. One species has been introduced 
into India; and another is found in Assam. N.-E. 
Bengal, Sikkira, and Nepal. 
Uses. Excellent as food. 
In conclusion we would n.sk whether our cor- 
respondent has a copy of Tank-Angling in India" 
by H. S. Thomas, Madras Civil Service, F.l.s., 
F-z s. ■? Mr. Thomas' schajiter on ' Stocking Ponds',''' 
specially written with reference to the circum- 
stances of Madras, is just the guide required by the 
Nuwara Eliya Fishing Club, should they take up 
the very desirable work of stocking Nuwara Eliya 
lake ; and if not already in his possession, we 
shall be very glad to lend the little volume to 
the Honorary Secretary or to any member specially 
interested in Pisciculture,— Wo cannot trace that 
the "Gouramie" is now in, or has ever been 
introduced into, Ceylon. But will cause further 
search. 
PLANTING NOTES. 
" The AGHieuLinHAL Gazette " of New Sonth 
Wales, Volume IX. Part 8. Edited by W H 
€lai-ke. Contents for August, 1898, are as follows •— 
Bovnie Tuberculosis, M. A. O'Callagban • To 
hacco Growing iu New South Wales, A. M Howell '■ 
The Weight per Bushel of Australian Wheaf«' 
N. A Cobb; Practical Science, W S. Campbel ■ 
New Vai-ieties of Sugar-cane at the Richmond River 
Farm; Reports by G. M. McKeown and H V 
J.^ckson; Poultry, J. J. McCuc ; The Production nf 
iloney, W. S. Pender; The Export T°ade The 
Importance of Drainage to -Agriculture III — n 
Htumeman ; Notes for Hawkesbury District gZ,' 
Valder ; Notes for the Northern District for Seii" 
•tember, H. V. Jackson ; Orchard Notes for '^JZ' 
ember, W.J. Alfen ; Vegetable and Flower Notfcffn^ 
September, W. 8. Campbell. With a Special Si e 
on Herbs ; General Notes &c. '""wo 
ANALY.SIS OF Cacao Soils. -Trinidad cacao 
planters do not go in for analysis even wbf>n 
offered free! We quote as follows ^" 
(Road before the Society, 9th August, 1S98) With 
reference to the investigation into the character of our 
Cocoa Sods, I have to report that only a few Estate 
owners have responded to the offer made throuJh 
the Agricultural Society to aualvse soils free nf 
charge. The nine soils already "analysed do not 
show sufficient variation to allow of anv definitP 
conclusions to be drawn from the analysis A much 
larger number is necessary, and more attention should 
be given to the selection of the samolec; jt iq nf 
primary importance that an analy.sis of aooi sniu 
and ef soils in which the cultivation of cacao hag 
been actually and unsuccessfully tried should Im 
contrasted. Samples of the latter kind are now re! 
quested.— P. C.\r.mody, Government Analrst ISth 
July, 1898. •' 
TIah. China, and fresh waters of the Malay Archi- 
pcligo. Natuyalized in Mauritius, Cayenne, Auatru- 
1 a, and introduced into some parts of India viz 
roar Calcutta, Madras, and the Neilgherries ' At- 
tains 20 lb. or more in weight, and is esoellent eatine 
wiicn kept in clean water. * 
