50 MADRAS FISHERIES BULLETIN VOL. XV, 



On the 20th and 21st plankton collections were made. On the 

 first of these days a trial was made with the help of a diver of 

 the island to get specimens'from the bottom. The man was able 

 to bring only a few broken pieces of Madrepora. From the way 

 in which the aiving was done I came to the conclusion that no 

 good results could be hoped from this. No stone or other appliance 

 is used for help as is the case with Tuticorin divers. The man 

 dived into the water head first. Nor was he able to keep to the 

 bottom for more than a few seconds. 



A big Bat Ray \Diccrobalis) was brought ashore this clay. It 

 measured 1 5 feet across the disc and II feet long (6i feet disc and 

 4^ tail) ; a local fisherman told me it would weigh approximately 

 20 thulams (560 lb.). Curiously enough the stomach contained 

 nothing, a fact which the men say is quite common. A good 

 number of sucker fishes (Echenets, two species) were found sheltering 

 in the mouth of the big beast, varying from lh to 14 inches in 

 length. Parasites both from the oesophagus and from the mouth, 

 were taken and preserved. 



At the request of the Inspecting Officer earthworms were collect- 

 ed from this island and later also from Agatti, Kavarti, Kalpeni and 

 Androth. These were sent to Dr. Stephenson, late Principal, 

 Government College, Lahore. His remarks on the collection are 

 that "They are all, except two specimens, Megascolex maurttii, a 

 widely distributed peregrine form. The other two are Megascolex 

 konkanensis, a South Indian species. The collection illustrates the 

 uniformity and borrowed character of the earthworm fauna of these 

 and other similar islands." 



On the 22nd the counting of the people of the island took place 

 and so no fishing boats went out. The programme for the 23rd was 

 to go to Kadamat in the morning and return in the evening, but 

 rough sea prevented our going. There was slight rain between 10 

 a.m. and 2 p.m. A fairly low tide occurred in the afternoon 

 permitting examination of the exposed western reefs. 



The next morning (24th), after another postponement of the visit 

 to Kadamat owing to adverse wind and sea, was spent in inquiring 

 about nets and other fishing methods and fish and turtle oil prepa- 

 ration. The afternoon was spent in collecting on the reefs on the 

 west side. Among other animals, three young living pearl oysters 

 were found. This confirmed the remarks about the possible exist- 

 ence of these referred to in Mr. Hornell's report printed in the 



