[ vii ] 



and scientific. To many in Ceylon to their Excellencies the Governor Sir West 

 Ridgeway and the Lieutenant-Governor Mr. E. F. im Thurn and to others I am 

 indebted for much kindness and consideration which smoothed away difficulties, 

 expedited my work, and rendered duty a pleasure. I desire also to record my 

 thanks to Captain J. Donnan, then Master Attendant at Colombo and Inspector 

 of the Pearl Banks, and to his successor, Captain J. LEGGE, who, during the time 

 which I spent with them on the inspection barque " Ptangasameeporawee," spared 

 no trouble in trying to let me examine as satisfactorily as possible the various 

 banks and the other localities and conditions which I desired to investigate. I had 

 also the advantage of spending some days on the pearl hanks with Sir William 

 Twynam, who has had a long extended experience of the fisheries as Superintendent 

 from t862 to f896, and as Government Agent of the Northern Province. 



Several men of science in Ceylon were kindly in their welcome and practical in 

 their help. I would specially mention Dr. A. J. Chalmers, through whose good 

 offices the Medical College at Colombo placed accommodation in one of their labora- 

 tories at the disposal of Mr. Hornell and myself; Mr. J. C. Willis, Director of the 

 Botanic Gardens at Peradeniya, and the late Mr. Oliver Collett, of Roselle, who has 

 himself written on the pearl-oyster fisheries. I was fortunate in accidentally meeting 

 during my first few days in Ceylon Dr. Paul and Dr. Fritz Sarasin, who had made 

 important biological investigations at Trincomalee ; and also Professor Alexander 

 Agassiz, then returning from his expedition to the Maldives, who very kindly 

 allowed me to ship from his steamer to mine, as they lay together in Colombo 

 Harbour, a reel containing 600 fathoms of steel-wire dredging rope. 



I desire to record my entire satisfaction with the work done by Mr. .James Hornell, 

 both while I was with him and also since. I was fortunate in having such a capable 

 and willing assistant, and such a helpful and pleasant companion. It would have 

 been quite impossible for me to have got through the work that had to he done in the 

 very limited time at my disposal had it not been for Mr. Hornell's skilled assistance. 



I am much indebted to the Staft of the Colonial Office, and to Sir Michael 

 Foster, K.C.B., of the Royal Society, for their interest in this investigation, for their 

 advice from time to time, and for the trouble they have taken in facilitating the 

 arrangements by which this Report will be published by the Royal Society for the 

 Government of Ceylon. And I need hardly say how gratefully I acknowledge the 

 appreciation of my labours shown by the Royal Society in assisting, in the first 

 instance, towards my being requested to carry out the investigation and subsequently 

 in undertaking the publication of the Report. 



W. A. HERDMAN. 



The University, Liverpool, 

 August, 1903, 



