Page:Gódávari.djvu/37

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PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION.
15

The chief diseases in the district are foot and mouth disease (góllu), anthrax (domma), rinderpest (peddajádyam), fever (kurama) and sugalirógam or malignant sore throat. Eruptions all over the body, an occasional symptom of rinderpest, are called by the natives kinka. Cattle are said to be not infrequently poisoned by Mádigas, who then eat their flesh and take their hides.

Generally speaking, the cattle are bought by merchants and ryots at the large weekly fairs at Tummapála (in Vizagapatam district), Pithápuram, Drákshárámam (in Rámachandrapuram), Ambájipéta (in Amalápuram) and PalokoUu in the Kistna district. Merchants go the round of these markets with their herds until they are all sold. The Pithápuram and Drákshárámam cattle fairs are famous. Sometimes drovers take their cattle round the country and sell them to the ryots in their own villages. This is what is usually done by the Sugális, who seem never to frequent the markets.

Big game is plentiful in the hills of the Agency and less so in the uplands of Tuni and Peddápuram. Tigers and panthers are numerous; bears are fairly common; bison (gaur) occur; nílgai have been shot in the Bhadráchalam taluk; sambur, spotted deer, jungle sheep, black-buck and pig are all common. Dholes (wild dogs) are found in Bhadráchalam and Pólavaram. Small game exists in great abundance. Good snipe-shooting is to be had in the neighbourhood of Rajahmundry and in many other spots. Wild geese, duck and teal, are common on the river and its lankas, and the two latter swarm on many jhils and tanks and on the sea at the mouth of the creeks between Cocanada and Coringa, whence they fly inland to feed at night. Partridge, peafowl, jungle-fowl and the smaller quail are all fairly common. The larger quail, florican and sand-grouse are more rarely met with. Other uncommon birds found in the district are the imperial pigeon, pied mina, and bhímaráj. Hares and partridges are captured in quantities by native shikáris, the former with nets, the latter with the help of decoy birds. Crocodiles are found in the upper Gódávari in large numbers and people are afraid to enter the deep parts of the river even as far down as Rajahmundry.

Mahseer occur in the Gódávari, Saveri and Panniléru rivers. The large sable fish (clupea palasah or hilsa) are netted in very large quantities near the Dowlaishweram anient, when they come up the river to spawn. Fine carp and labeo are caught near Pólavaram and in the tanks, as the villagers will not allow the drinking-water tanks to be netted. The fishing in the tidal water near Cocanada and Coringa is