DESCRIPTION OF THE PEARL-OYSTER BANKS OF THE GULF OF MANAAR. 105 



Pectunculids, Cardium, Macro,, Venus, &c, cemented together by mere films of 

 carbonate of lime, supplemented in places by patches of Litkothamnion and Lepralid 

 Polyzoa. This shell-conglomerate may be ferruginous like the Red Crag Deposits. 



Fig. 32. Four generations of pearl-oysters from the Cheval Paar. The largest is 3f years old, the 

 next is 18 months, two (above) are 8 months, and one (on the large shell) is about a month old. 

 From a photograph, March, 1903. 



The cup-shaped horny sponge Phyllospongia holdsworthi is abundant at the 

 western end, and, though not confined to this region, as has been supposed, is so 

 characteristic that the native divers have named the western 

 part of the bank the Koddai (or " Umbrella ") Paar. 



A comparison of these different parts of the Cheval 

 Paar shows the great importance of scattered " culch " such 

 as dead coral fragments, Nullipores, and old shells as a 

 basis of attachment for the pearl oysters. The large embay - 

 ment (fig. 32a) between the East and West Cheval has a 

 bottom of sand, much of which could be made available 

 for oyster cultivation by a system of "culching" with 

 material brought from the beach or from any of the coral 

 patches (Aripu, Kodramallai, &c.) in the neighbourhood. 

 The limits of the paar might also, by the same process, be 

 extended at least half-a-mile further to the east. 



g. 32a. Proposed cul- 

 ture areas recommended 

 for the Cheval Paar and 

 Peiiya Paar Kerrai. 



Modragam Paar, North. 



This paar lies south-east of the central part of the Cheval Paar, at from \ mile 

 to 1 mile distant, and is nearly 1 mile in diameter. It is about %\ miles west of Kallar 

 tower. The depth is from b\ to 6f fathoms. 



The bottom is sandy, ridged and furrowed ; no rock is to be found. 



The pearl-oysters are in bunches lying on the sand, chiefly in furrows, each bunch 

 having in its centre some fragment of dead coral, nulhpore, calcrete, or other hard 

 substance, to which most of the oysters are attached. In the first four bunches 



