26 CEYLON PEARL OYSTER REPORT. 



Mar., 1878. On the Kottapakku paar, where oysters were found in 1802 (extension 

 of Periya to south-east), found 3,500,000 oysters, but there were 13 per 

 cent, dead shells. They were of the " Kottapakku " variety. 

 Nov., 1878.- Oysters dying on Kottapakku Paar. Pearls valued at Bs. 17.29 



per 1000. Small fishery suggested for March. 

 Mar., 1879. Bank fished (yielded 95,694 rupees). 

 Feb., 1880. Abundance of young oysters. 

 Mar., 1882. No oysters on the bank. 

 April, 1883. Neighbourhood of ground fished in 1879 thickly covered with young 



oysters 6 to 9 months old. 

 Mar., 1884. Oysters still on bank, mixed with others 3 months old. 

 ,, 1885. Older oysters gone and very few of the younger remaining. 

 ,, 1886. No oysters on the bank. 

 Nov., 1887. Abundance of young oysters 2 to 3 months old. 

 ,, 1888. Oysters of last year gone and new lot come, 3 to 6 months old. 

 ,, 1889. Oysters of last year gone ; a fewj3atcb.es present, 3 months old. 

 Mar., 1892. No oysters on bank. 



1893. Abundance of oysters 6 months old. 



,, 1894. No oysters on bank. 



,, loyo. ,, ,, ,, 



,,- 1896. Abundance of young oysters 3 to 6 months old. 



,, 1897. No oysters present. 



,, loyo. ,, ,, ,, 



,, 1899. Abundance of oysters 3 to 6 months old. 



,, 1900. Abundance of oysters 3 to 6 months old ; none of last year's 



remaining. 

 ,, 1901. Oysters present, 12 to 18 months old, but not so numerous as in 



preceding year. 

 ,, 1902. Young oysters very abundant, 2 to 3 months old. Only a few 

 patches of older oysters (2 to 2j years) remaining. 

 Nov., 1902. All the oysters gone. 



April, 1903. Some oyster spat seen on Sargassum weed. 



Mar., 1904. Bank of 5X2 miles covered with young oysters (3 months old) from 

 end to end. 



This is an extraordinary history. In 100 vears there has only been one small 

 fishery, that of 1879, and yet the Periya Paar probably receives more deposits of spat 

 than any of the other banks. Since 1880 the bank has been naturally re-stocked 

 with young oysters at least 1 2 times without yielding a fishery. The destruction and 

 the reproduction are both, in this case, on an enormous scale. As this bank was dealt 

 with fully in the Narrative (p. 76) in Part I., I need only say here (1) that the- 



