4 MADRAS FISHERIES BULLETIN [VOL. XVI, 



II— PREFACE TO THE ORIGINAL (1905) REPORT. 



The accompanying report upon the present condition and 

 future prospects of the pearl banks off the coast of Madura and 

 Tinnevelly is the outcome of a request for the loan of my services 

 made by the Government of Madras to that of Ceylon in the spring 

 of 1904. 



I appreciate most highly the honour thus done me and I have 

 endeavoured to the utmost of my ability to discharge satisfactorily 

 the duty laid upon me. The working up of the material, however, 

 proved unexpectedly tedious and arduous ; the volume of the 

 material to be digested was very much greater than I had 

 anticipated ; wide historical inquiries had to be instituted and all 

 this to be carried on concurrently with the exacting duties of my 

 first year in office as Inspector of Pearl Banks and Marine Biologist 

 to the Government of Ceylon. Critics will therefore, I trust, deal 

 gently with the many shortcomings which I am conscious mar the 

 present report ; they will kindly bear in mind that it has been 

 built up largely in fragments of time snatched from an all too 

 scanty leisure. I should like indeed to devote further study to ihe 

 inquiry, but under present circumstances I see no prospect of the 

 necessary time-opportunity. I reluctantly decide that it is better 

 to send in the report as it stands than to postpone its issue 

 indefinitely. 



Possibly I have striven to do more than was expected from me, 

 but having put my hand to the work I could not refrain from the 

 attempt to review the position in all its bearings. However many 

 shortcomings pertain to this effort I have cleared some stumbling 

 blocks from the way and have indicated the lines on which 

 success may be attained eventually by the workers who will follow 



me. 



My aim has been to sift the whole of the evidence available, 

 historical, zoological and physiographical ; to present the conclu- 

 sions in a simple and succinct form and to formulate remedial 

 measures on a practical and business-like basis. 



It has not been found necessary to treat herein of the anatomy 

 and habits of the pearl oyster as such are dealt with fully by 

 Professor Herdman* and myself in the " Report on the Pearl Oyster 



* Now Sir W. A. Herdman, A7., F.R.S. &c. 



