54 MADRAS FISHERIES BULLETIN VOL. XV, 



the statement that it was once practised no traces of the industry 

 were found. The failure is attributed to poor prices for the manu- 

 factured product. 



As our stay was very short, detailed inquiry and investigation 

 was not possible. We left the next morning at 6-15 a.m. and after 

 putting ashore at Amini the Monigar and the Assistant Surgeon of 

 that place, we proceeded towards Agatti (the westernmost of the 

 inhabited islands of the group), which we reached at 5 p.m. 



At AGATTI we camped from 30th November to 7th December, 

 the last three days spent in the vain hope of sighting the R.I. M.S. 

 Minto and proceeding by it to the next island, Kavarti. 



The lagoon of this island is ideally situated, being of large 

 extent with depths of three to four fathoms which greatly facilitate 

 collection of zoological specimens. Opportunity was also afforded 

 while here of making short visits to the outlying uninhabited 

 islets of Kalpitti and the Bangaram series. Detailed inquiries 

 were made as to fishing apparatus and methods, and a good find of 

 young pearl oysters, together with a collection of various shells, 

 was obtained. The island is one and one-eighth square mile in 

 area and has a population of 1,084. It is tolerably fertile and the 

 people are well-to-do ; there are signs of comparative happiness and 

 comfort. It is a "fine large populous island standing at the 

 southern end of an atoll which also rises into two small islets at 

 two points further northwards and is thickly covered with coconut 

 palms beneath which the thatched coral-stone houses of the 

 inhabitants are picturesquely scattered among lime-bushes on 

 which fine fruits are hanging." (Alcock : A Naturalist in Indian 

 Seas.) 



On the morning of the 30th November, the north beach of the 

 island was examined and notes taken of the fish traps and other 

 kinds of fishing appliances in use. 



December 1st.— This morning I took a boat and went to the small 

 uninhabited islet (Kalpitti) at the south end of the reef separated 

 from the main island by a channel from one to two fathoms deep 

 at high water and 200 to 300 yards wide. 



My chief object was to search for Amphioxus and Balano- 

 glossus by sieving the sand in the separating channel. The first 

 sieve revealed a few dead young pearl oyster shells ; on this a close 

 search was made among the Madrepore corals and I was able to 

 detect a number of live young pearl oysters adhering in bunches of 



