84 MADRAS FISHERIES BULLETIN [VOL. XVI, 



some imes fairly clear of sand, at other times covered with from 

 one to two inches. A few Holothurians and sponge fragments 

 were brought up ; no trace of oysters was found. 



Steaming a quarter of a mile further another series of dives 

 gave similar results ; flat rock with sand filling the depressions and 

 with occasional small, loose fragments of calcrete upon the surface. 

 At both stations the sand contained a large proportion of mud, 

 so much that I have no hesitation in condemning this ground as 

 hopeless and utterly unfit to rear oysters to maturity. It may with 

 safety be ignored in future inspections. 



The ground lying between the Kumulam and Vembar Peri> a 

 Pars was next examined and found to consist of a coarser sand 

 than any seen so far. Many medium sized quartz grains were 

 present and though the water here was discoloured, no mud was 

 actually found in the sand. 



Depth 10 fathoms. Temperature of sea at 4-30 p.m. 8q° F. 

 Specific gravity l,022'8o. 



VEMBAR PERIYA PAR. — Continuing our course we arrived at 

 8-15 a.m. at a point which Captain Carlyon believed to be the 

 north-east end of the Vembar Periya Par. 



The steamer and the four inspection boats were employed in 

 the examination of it for the rest of the morning. 



This par as outlined on the chart is of considerable extent, 

 3 miles in length by 1% mile in breadth, the bank ranking next 

 in size to the Tolayiram Par. The depth shown on the chart is 6 to 

 / fathoms. 



The examination proved hardly satisfactory, as out of upwards 

 of 160 dives taken over an area of three miles long by one mile 

 broad, but eight dives (in 8 fathoms) were on rock. All the sound- 

 ings were between 6^2 and Q fathoms, the great majority being 8 

 to 8% fathoms. 



On the small area of rock found by No. 2 boat two small patches 

 of pearl oysters — 4 to 5 months old -were discovered, together with 

 a large number of Suran {Modioli barbata). One small fragment of 

 rock bore a densely packed cluster of 10 individuals. Eunicid tubes 

 and zoophytes were also present in considerable abundance. 



The greater part of the sand was of a character approximating 

 closely to that found on the Ceylon banks — bright clean yellow in 

 general colour with plenty of quartz, cleaner and better sand even 

 than that taken between this region and the Kumulam Par, Two 



