No. 1 (1922) ADMINISTRATION REPORT, 1920-21 2l 



value of the specimens supplied during the six years since its incep- 

 tion, viz. : — 





The continuous rise in the annual value of the supplies bespeaks 

 not only increasing appreciation by the educational world of India, 

 but also a greatly widened and more solid foundation of the 

 zoological training now current in our colleges. 



The improvement of school museums throughout the Presidency 

 is also one of the aims of this branch of our activities. In very few 

 instances are existing school museums of any real educational 

 value ; especially is this true of natural history exhibits. If the 

 school be in a coast town, a jumble of unnamed shells, with odds and 

 ends of the flotsam and jetsam of the sea, offends the eye of the 

 zoologist by reason of its utter uselessness. No possible educational 

 value can attach to a collection of shells gathered haphazard and 

 exhibited without order or explanation. To afford remedy in part 

 for this unsatisfactory state of affairs in secondary schools, J 

 arranged some years ago for the preparation of compact wall ^ases 

 containing named selections of typical Madras shells. The Director 

 of Public Instruction warmly approved of the scheme, and promised 

 to order a large supply of these collections provided that a descrip- 

 tive hand-book be prepared. It was difficult to find time in which 

 to write such a description, for nothiug of the kind has hitherto been 

 attempted, but I have now completed the task and the report is in 

 the hands of the printer. I hope shortly to complete a companion 

 work on South Indian crustaceans to illustrate a typical collection 

 of our common crabs. 



This supply work benefits the whole of India ; indeed it is the 

 colleges in the north of India that take chief advantage of the 

 facilities provided. In these circumstances it would appear fitting 

 that* the Government of India should be asked for a contribution 

 towards the development and extension of an educational service 

 that has unanimous approval and support from practically every 

 college in India where zoology is a subject of instruction. 



His Excellency Lord Willingdon, Governor of Madras, accom- 

 panied by Her Excellency Lady Willingdon, honoured the Tuticorin 

 Biological Laboratory with a visit on 31st October i920 ; the various 

 collections were shown to them and the scope and nature of the 

 current investigations explained. 



29. Krmadai Island Biological station progressed during the 

 year. With the exception of the main building which still requires 



