14 Madras fisheries bulletin vol. xiil 



paid for. Later when the equipment and accommodation are 

 improved and the staff is more fully trained, it is hoped to be able 

 to take up injections, display of dissected specimens, skeletal prepa- 

 rations, and microscopical sections and mounts. 



53. The Marine Aquarium.-— The number of visitors to the 

 aquarium was 16^,517 as against 86,957 in the previous year. 

 The admission money collected amounted to Es. 9,380-4-0 as 

 against Rs. 3,783-4-6 in the previous year. The expenditare 

 incurred on the aquarium amounted to Rs. 4,861-5-3 as against 

 Rs. 2,063-14-6 and the profits amounted to Rs. 4,518-14-9 as 

 against Rs. 1,719-6-0. The additional expenditure has therefore 

 been fully justified. The increase in expenditure was due to the 

 improvements in the aquarium and charges for advertisements and 

 for the supply of electric current. Since 29th November 1919 

 the aquarium has been open in the evenings, electric light having 

 been installed. The number of persons admitted during the evening 

 hours amounted to 7,280 and the collections during those hours 

 amounted to Rs. 1,821-8-0. The largest attendance in a single day 

 was on Fongal (16th January 1920) when 4,104 people visited the 

 aquarium. It is hardly necessary to state that the number of 

 visitors and the amounts collected are in far excess of the figures in 

 any previous year ; the aquarium has been much more highly appre- 

 ciated by the public and of more use for educational purposes, and 

 there can be little doubt that this is due to the measures taken by 

 Mr. Hornell. 



54. The new guide to the aquarium written by Mr. Hornell 

 was placed on sale in October 1919 and 1,400 copies were sold by 

 the end of Pebruary 1920. The guide was then revised and enlarged 

 by Mr. Hornell and illustrated, but owing to the increase in price 

 to 2 annas, it has not found so ready a sale as the old guide, only 

 566 being sold up to the end of the year ; the average numl3er of 

 copies sold per mensem was 141 as against 350 of the first edition. 

 The sale-proceeds of the guides amounted to Rs. 164-3-0 as against 

 Rs. 24-11-0 in the previous year. A Tamil translation of the guide 

 is under preparation. 



55. A certain amount of research work is carried on in the 

 aquarium. Detailed notes on the habits of fishes, crustaceans, etc., 

 in the aquarium are recorded as well as data regarding tlie rate of 

 growth, the spawning seasons, etc. The systematic identification of 

 crabs at Madras and at Tuticorin has been undertaken. The causes 

 of the death of fish in captivity are under investigation The 

 supply of dried specimens of Crustacea was transferred to the 

 aquarium from Tuticorin in November 1919. Arrangements are 

 being made to exhibit on the wall-space available at the aquarium 

 typical specimens of marine animals preserved in fluid. 



