19221 MADRAS PEARL FISHERIES 101 



tubes of Eunice tubifex. Pinna sp. covered with large Balani are 

 conspicuous on the sandy ground. 



The rocky bottom on the Uti banks is calcrete, containing in 

 some places a considerable quantity of quartz grains embedded in 

 a calcerous matrix — a quartzose limestone. 



The only fisheries recorded from these banks during the last 120 

 years took place in 1792, 1830 and 1860-1861. In the last instance 

 the oysters, said to be 4^2 years old, were abundant and of good 

 fishing value. Adjacent banks are usually fished in the same 

 season with these and separate figures of the number of oysters 

 fished from the Uti banks are not available. 



3. Pasi Group. 



Two banks, the Pasi Par and the Attonbadu Par, may be linked 

 together under this head. They lie 6 to 7 miles off Hare Island, 

 Tuticorin, at a depth of 8 to 9 fathoms, and are situated nearly 

 midway between the Uti Par group and the western margin of the 

 Tolayiram Par. 



These also were fished in 1861 together with the adjoining Uti 

 Par and associated banks. Since then the only records of oysters 

 present in quantity are — ■ 



1863 ••• " Very young oysters and Suran." 



1876 ••• ... •• Plenty of young oysters of \ L / 2 years." 



. 1881 ... u Large numbers of oysters of one 



year of age with Suran in some 

 places and covered with weeds." 

 In addition, in 1894, 1896 and 1901 some few young were found, 

 but as their number was limited we may disregard them and draw 

 the inference that like so many other banks on this side these two 

 suffer rather from a shortage of spat than from inability to support 

 in health those that do appear and survive the dangers of the first 

 18 months of existence. 



The bottom on the rocky patches is the usual calcrete, the 

 remainder of the ground fine sand with occasional chanks. 



The young oysters found in 1901 lay principally on the sandy 

 stretches. 



4. Cruxian Group. 



Another group of small pars, three in number, lying west of the 

 island of Vantivu and about six miles from the mainland. The 

 three constituent pars, Cruxian, Tundu and Vantivu Arupagam, 



