54 



CEYLON PEARL OYSTER REPORT. 



steamer such as the " Lady Havelock" would take about 30 hours from the 



Cheval Paar, while Galle could be reached in about 18 hours; 

 (4.) The bottom is muddy and is, in most parts, unsuitable for oyster culture, and 



the water is not comjjarable in purity with that in the Gulf of Manaar. 



Consequently it is probable that although some oysters may live at 



Trincomalee, they will not grow so rapidly and healthily as on the pearl 



banks ; 

 (5.) The difficulty of access from Colombo and the distance from the scientific 



libraries and museum would be a real disadvantage to naturalists working 



continuously at Trincomalee ; 

 (6.) Finally, for a Marine Station where ordinary biological investigations would be 



conducted, Galle presents a richer general fauna than Trincomalee, and has 



the additional special advantage of a coral reef and lagoon where collecting 



and observation can be easily carried on. 



Galle as a locality no doubt also presents some disadvantages, the worst of which is 

 that the bay lies open to the south-west monsoon ; still there is the lagoon, parts of 

 which could no doubt be made use of. The other advantages, the purity of the 

 water, the richness of the plankton, the shortness of the journey from the Gulf of 

 Manaar and the convenience of proximity to Colombo, render Galle, in my opinion, 

 much the best site in ( 'evlon for a Marine Biological Station, and these eventually 

 caused us to fix there our temporary laboratory, in which Mr. Hornell was to carry 

 on his work after I left the island. 



I was asked, however, before deciding finally, to consider various spots in the Gulf 

 of Manaar, such as Aripu, Chilavaturai, Kodramallai and Manaar, all on the shores of 

 the pearl oyster region, and these I visited during our second cruise in the " Lady 

 Havelock." 



The s s. " Lady Havelock,'' employed by the Ceylon Government for the pearl oyster investigation, 



February and March, 1902. 



