76 MADRAS FISHERIES BULLETIN [VOL. XVI, 



Equally characteristic is a stout lamellar and fan-shaped dark 

 green Alga which passes below into a bulbous base embedded 

 deeply in the sand ; the projecting fan-shaped portion measures in 

 many cases as much as 5 inches across; the bulbous base from 

 6 to 8 inches in length, stiffened by a large admixture of sand 

 entangled among the ramifying filaments of the Alga. 



That peculiar Ascidian, Rhabdocynthia pallida, is another charac- 

 teristic organism. 



Small crustaceans, molluscs and burrowing worms are also 

 noteworthy, with a varying number of chanks. 



After examining this region we proceeded N.N. W. from Par 

 Kundanjan Par which brought us to the reyion immediately south- 

 west of the Tolayiram Par. Here we found considerable quantities 

 of small oysters lying in clusters upon sand ; the age appeared to 

 be from three to four months and, besides the living, a considerable 

 quantity of dead shells was found. A few of the latter showed 

 signs of having been bored by carnivorous Gastropods and others 

 were broken, possibly by the bites of some fish. This, however, is 

 somewhat doubtful and the majority showed no apparent signs of 

 what the cause of death had been. 



The nuclei of the clusters were in the main the spicular Ascidian 

 Rhabdocynthia pallida ; in a few cases only was it a shell, a fragment 

 of par or of dead coral. In many a nucleus was absent, the little 

 oysters clinging to the shells of one another. Everywhere there 

 was a marked scarcity of " cultch " (shells and rock fragments). 



The sand was clean and in some places contained a larger pro- 

 portion of quartz grains than at any other place hitherto examined. 

 Pennatula sp. and Virgularia juncea were fairly common as was also 

 the flat echinoid Clypcastcr humilis. A few Pentaceros lincki and 

 Fungia dentata were also met with. 



From this position we went west, traversing the area indicated 

 on the chart as a large chank bed. Here the sand became fine, 

 dark in colour and slightly muddy. Zigzagging over this 16 dives 

 were made, giving uniform results regarding the character of the 

 sand and the organisms characterizing it, numerous small chanks, 

 small Pinna sp. and rooted fan-algse. 



Our supply of water was by this time almost exhausted ; so after 

 completing the examination of this chank bed, the "Margarita" 

 was headed for Tuticorin where we arrived the same afternoon. 



The two next days I spent ashore in a further examination of 

 records and in gathering local opinions, which I hold should never 



