72 MADRAS FISHERIES BULLETIN [VOL. XVI, 



central and among the most important, having given fisheries more 

 frequently during the past century than any other section of the 

 pearl banks, with the single exception of the Tolayiram Par. * 



At 8 a.m. the four inspection boats were cast off to the south- 

 west of the Velangu Karuwal Par at a point due east of Trichendur 

 Pagoda. The boats were ranged in line abreast, a quarter of a 

 mile separating the individual boats and the coxswains were 

 instructed to follow the steamer taking dives at regular and 

 frequent intervals and preserving their respective distances apart. 

 We then steamed three miles north by west and anchored on the 

 west side of the Naduvu Malai Piditta Par in 9% fathoms, the 

 current still running strong from the north and the wind remaining 

 southerly. 



When the boats arrived, it was found that only the two on the 

 west of the line had crossed over the pars, and others being too 

 much to the east and traversing ground which was almost entirely 

 bare sand. The results obtained showed the rock and sand to be 

 of the same characters as the bottom on the Uti Par region ; in 

 some places upon rocky ground a considerable amount of Orbito- 

 lites sand was found and in other places the sand was coarse 

 enough to be considered a gravel. The fauna was in its main 

 characteristic features similar to that of the Uti Par — sponges were 

 abundant and of similar species and, in addition, several 

 specimens of the spherical crimson Axinella tubulata were obtained, 

 containing the usual quota of commensals — Oligochaete worms and 

 Gephyreans. 



Of corals we found Favia sp. forming rounded masses 5 to 8 

 inches in diameter. The tubes of Eunice tubifex were again 

 common together with Pentaccros lincki, Antedon, Ophiuroids and 

 many Polyzoa, the most conspicuous of the lastnamed being dense 

 hydroid-like colonies of Scrupocellaria sp. over 3 inches in height. 

 Little seaweed was found but Padina commersoni was sometimes 

 fairly common together with some bunches of Codium tomentosum. 

 On Naduvu Malai Par small nullipore balls {Lithothamnion) were 

 locally abundant on certain of the sandy stretches. Pinna and 

 live coral were absent from the ground examined this day. 



The sandy ground to the west of the pars yielded numerous 

 chanks and many valves of sand-loving Lamellibranchs (Mactra, 



* The Karuwal Pars were fished in 1805, 1815 aud 1862. 



