DESCRIPTION OF THE PEARL-OYSTER BANKS OF THE GULF OF MANAAR. 113 



The bottom is rocky a very coarse quartz grit cemented by lime, and with dead 

 coral imbedded in places (Madrepora, Monlipora, &c). Foraminiferal sand (Hetero- 

 stegina, Orhitolites, &c.) is present between the harder parts. 



Out of 260 dives, 144 brought up adult pearl oysters, in 7 cases on sand and in 

 137 on " rock." The remaining dives were 83 on sand and 33 on rock not occupied 

 by oysters. The pearl oysters are not very abundant and look rather stunted, and 

 are overgrown with Leptoclinids, Sponges, small Algae, and Serpulids ; they are very 

 similar to those on the Muttuvaratu Paar. Living Fungia, Manicina, and a few 

 other corals are found, also Culcita schmideliana, Linckia laevigata, Margaritifera 

 margaritifera (the " black-lip " pearl shell), many fishes, such as Batistes rnitis, 

 B. stellatus, and some Gobies. 



This is one of the few paars on which it would be difficult to fish the pearl oyster 

 by means of dredging. The bottom is so uneven and so rough with corals that the 

 nets would be torn to pieces and the frames be broken, unless great care and skill 

 were employed. 



This paar is placed a couple of miles further to the north-east in an old Dutch 

 chart. That may either be an erroneous position or may indicate a former patch of 

 hard bottom. 



Kaeativo Paar. 



This lies 5 miles due west of the northern end of Karativo Island and 1 mile south 

 of the Dutch Modragam. It is about 1 mile in diameter, and has depths of 8 to 10 

 fathoms. The bottom is very rocky and uneven, and it is one of the few spots that 

 would be impossible for dredging. The rock is in the form of ledges, steps, or 

 escarpments, with sometimes fully two feet of rise. 



Scarcely any pearl oysters were seen, but amongt the few there was a living 

 " black-lip " pearl oyster [Margaritifera margaritifera, Linn.). We also noted: 

 Madrepores, abundant, Tridacna sp., Psolus sp., Asterias sp., and shoals of Plecto- 

 gnathid fishes. 



This paar was fished in 1832, and then again in 1890 and 1891, one day in each 

 during the fishing of the Muttuvaratu Paar. 



Alantura Paar (Hamilton's). 



The paar lies about 1 mile to the south of Karativo Paar and 4j to 5 miles off 

 Karativo Island. It is nearly 1 mile in average diameter, and the depth is 8 to 11 

 fathoms. 



The bottom is very even strewn with quantities of Nullipore fragments and other 

 pieces of " culch," under which is Heterostegina and Orhitolites sand covering the flat 



