52 MADRAS FISHERIES BULLETIN VOL. XV, 



molluscs and holothurians. A good collection was made and an 

 interesting find at the southern end was dead young pearl oysters, 

 thus confirming beyond doubt that mature ones must occur in the 

 waters around this island. 



Better attention is paid here to fishing than at Amini. I found 

 fish being dried in the sun, hung on ropes. They are not treated 

 with salt in any way but merely washed in sea water with two to 

 three scores along the sides to allow rapid drying. 



Owing to uncertain weather conditions the return to Amini was 

 postponed to next morning (26th). We arrived at Amini at 10 a.m. 

 and immediately proceeded by R.I. M.S. Minto to Chetlat. 



CHETLAT.— -The next morning I examined the reef at the north- 

 east of this island. The whole beach at this end is covered with 

 a kind of calcareous algae {Lithothamnion sp.) which is mentioned 

 by Professor Stanley Gardiner as one of the active agencies in the 

 formation of coral reefs. 



Beyond collecting shells washed ashore and making inquiries 

 regarding the nets, etc., in use and about the abundance of Trochus 

 and Turbo shells said to be suitable for making buttons, much 

 work could not be done here. In the course of the day a Kandali- 

 valai was dragged in the lagoon and the catches examined. The 

 haul contained 3 spine-tails {Acanthurus), 4 Caranx, 1 5 matti 

 {Lutjanus), I big Balistcs and a spiny puffer fish (Diodon), not edible. 



In my opinion the general fishing capacity of the people of this 

 island is low owing mainly to their poverty-stricken condition. 

 The main occupation of the islanders is coir-making; the product 

 is taken to the mainland to be exchanged for rice, but the people 

 express as a grievance that their quota of coir supply is fixed too 

 high, leaving little time for other activities. There is scarcity of 

 husks for fibre as a consequence of the poor yield of nuts of the 

 island trees and a proposal was made by them to the officer to 

 grant them a licence to remove husks from Bangaram. Hence the 

 men are taking to other occupations such as cutting and carrying 

 fuel to Mangalore, Calicut, etc., from other islands. One such 

 batch of men was seen at Kalpitti islet of the Agatti, adding to 

 their thin rice gruel (kanji) the baked flesh of a Pterocera. 



Pterocera chiragra and P. lambis are found in abundance around 

 this island; these and other big Gastropods {Conns, etc.) are baked 

 in the fire and eaten by the people. Large quantities of the shells 

 of Mesodestna glabrata are found as kitchen middens in this and 



