CHILIVA. HIND. The Indian bleak of NM. India, a lonely little fish, seldom reaching more than two or three ounces ; he is active, playful, and ravenous ; his appearance is like new silver (the scales being used in making false pearls), and he ranks among the most delicate at table. Lady anglers, with a long, graceful wand, whip for him with great success on fine clear evenings, near the cold season, with tiny midges of rainbow hue, begirt with gold tinsel. Five pounds' weight and more of these pearly playthings have been the reward of a lady party on one evening, caught without much exertion from a boat, and under the shade of contiguous topes and groves, along the river Rapti. Besides the artificial fly, the ehiliva greedily seizes everything from a mosquito to a butterfly ; and a grub or flesh maggot, a bit of paste, or a large grain of tough rice, are equally good. Ile is essentially a surface fish, active and cleanly in his predilections ; of a delicate consti tution, he soon dies after handling, especially if he has been hooked. The rusting net is the proper modus operandi to get stock fish for a water, and the supply should be kept very few together, or they will rapidly die ; earthen pans carried on a pole across a man's shoulder by night are best.
This fish is very prolific, but his enemies are abundant in proportion. From his surface habits, he falls an easy prey to the ducks, fish-hawks, kingfishers, snakes, turtle, etc. To feed them or cause them to congregate, burn a little ghi or fat in a pot over the fire, and when it begins to smoke, empty out the contents on the pool or lake, and the chiliva will soon be seen hunting this new food on the surface. Coarse flour slightly melted and thrown in will also attract a great number ; the casting net thrown on the spot will gather quite a silvery load. The Indian angler prizes the little chiliva beyond all his con freres, for he is the shining bonne bouche which, when properly spun on a first-class rapid, tempts the majestic mahseer of discreet 50 to 120 lbs. from all his propriety, or seduces the golden eyed belch:1r of 20 to run amok.