1922] MADRAS PEARL FISHERIES 103 



The fact has long been noted * that the size of Ceylon oysters 

 of a given age from the Cheval Par is markedly superior to that of 

 those of the same age from the in-shore Indian banks, the latter 

 approximating more closely to those from the Muttuvaratu Par, a 

 bank with a bad reputation for the starved appearance characteris- 

 tic of its oysters. 



5. Vaippar Karai Group. 



The largest of these is the Vaippar Karai Par, a bank of some 

 importance not located upon the present inspection chart. From 

 the observations made and the information supplied by the par 

 mandadai, it appears to lie north-west of the Devi Par and about 

 five miles due south of the village of Vaippar. The other banks in 

 this grouping are the Devi, Pernandu, Padutta Marikan and Padutta 

 Marikan Tundu Pars, varying in diameter from half to three- 

 quarters of a mile. Depth 6 to 6^2 fathoms. 



The bottom is of the usual reddish-brown limestone com- 

 mon to the other groups in this neighbourhood, interrupted and 

 more or less overlaid by a fine muddy sand, the larger parti- 

 cles consisting chiefly of comminuted shells. Numerous dead 

 pearl oyster valves, entire and also fragmentary, were abundant, 

 fully I Yz year old ; of live ones but a few odd individuals were 

 found, greatly overgrown with tunicates and polyzoa and distinctly 

 stunted in appearance. 



The sand on the Vaippar Karai Par is appreciably more dirty 

 and muddy than that on the Cruxian Pars, a difference due to the 

 vicinity of the embouchure of the Vaippar river. The other pars of 

 the group are probably less affected, but all have borne mature 

 oysters, the group being included in the fishery ground of 1861. 



The faunistic characters approximate to those of the Cruxian 

 Pars. Pinna sp. bearing large Balani predominate. A few corals 

 (astreeids) were seen with leptoclinids and zoophytes. 



Sponges are neither numerous nor conspicuous. 



It appears from the records that these banks have suffered 

 neglect in recent years, which in view of the fishery held there in 

 1861 and of the record by Captain Phipps of an abundance of 

 young oysters in 1867, 1873, 1877, 1881 and 1884 they do not 

 justify. 



* Thomas, H. Sullivan, loc. cit„ page 14. 



