NARRATIVE. 4:: 



Hydractinia sp., small Gorgonids ; 



Echinodiscus auritus, Lovenia dongata, Antedon sp. ; 



Glycera lancadivce, Serpula sp., and some other small worms, Lepralid Polyzoa ; 



Ampelisca brevicomis, some Pagurids and small crabs ; 

 Turritetta duplicate/,, Philine sp. and many dead mollnscan shells ; 



Molgula sp. (small), Amaroucium sp. and Amphioxus* (2). 



We landed at the south-eastern corner of the bay, near the fishing village of 

 Mirissa, which seemed the most promising part zoologically as it may possibly be 

 a little sheltered from the south-west monsoon, and examined a good deal of the beach 

 and of the shallow water near from the boat. There are red cliffs of coarse gneiss at 

 the extremities of the bay, which no doubt give it its chart name " Red Bay." 

 Pagurids of several species, some inhabiting the shells of Helix and other land 

 Molluscs, were very common on the upper part of the beach and in the cocoa-nut 

 plantations beyond. A crowd of several dozen were found congregated upon a small 

 heap of dung evidently feeding. Others were sheltering in numbers about the 

 roots of the trees. A Pterocera shell (Ft. lambis) was found on the beach, small 

 Limpets were abundant on the red rocks at the point, and many long-spined purple 

 Echinids (Stomopneustes variolaris) were in hollows in the rock pools, and also under 

 the sea in cavities and crevices of the rock. Living Corals were seen from the boat 

 in the shallow water just inside the point. 



On the whole this was a disappointing bay. There is no place where experiments 

 in the cultivation of the pearl oyster could be carried on. There is no ground where 

 we could expect to find the animal, or where it would probably be able to live. The 

 bay is open to the full force of the south-west monsoon, and this would introduce 

 difficulties in collecting and other biological work during a great part of the year. 

 It is unsuitable both for the general work of a biological station and also for the 

 special purposes of the pearl oyster investigation. 



We went on the same night to Galle the last of the localities round the coast 

 which I had noted for comparison with the Gulf of Manaar. 



Altogether five days were spent on this occasion investigating Galle and its 

 surroundings, and another visit of several days was paid later on, in March. 



February 14th was spent in dredging in the bay, and shore-collecting; 



February 1 5th in dredging near Watering Point, and shore-work ; 



February 16th in examining the Coral reef and the lagoon (see fig. 6) ; 



February 17th in dredging off entrance to Galle Bay and neighbourhood ; 



February 18th in dredging and trawling in deeper water outside Galle and 

 onwards. 



On February 14th we had several hauls of the dredge in the entrance to the bay, 

 between the points, which may be united as 



Probably BranrMosfnma lanrtolafum, but the specimens have apparently not been preserved. 



G 2 



