58 MADRAS FISHERIES BULLETIN VOL. XV, 



empty coconuts still enveloped in their husk ; this considerable 

 weight thev are able to drag behind them without apparent effort. 



Leaving Kavarti on the night of the I2th, we reached MlNIKOI 

 at noon the next day. This is the southernmost of the islands 

 under the administrative control of the Collector of Malabar. 

 As is apparent at sight the people in their language, dress, 

 habits, customs, communal organization and fishing methods are 

 entirely different from those of the Laccadive Islands. 



Owing to the notorious mosquito trouble of the island, it was 

 proposed to stop only one night at this island. Owing to 

 language difficulty — all available interpreters being occupied with 

 census duties — I was not able to make extensive inquiry, beyond 

 collecting shells. This was of less moment seeing that Prof. 

 Stanley Gardiner has already carried on investigations during a 

 lengthy stay in this island. The two most interesting items in the 

 collection were Magilus, a peculiar shell growing embedded in 

 corals, and a sea-worn chank. As usual with other islands, the 

 fishermen did not go out to sea on account of the inspecting 

 officer's visit and my attempts to get specimens of the small fish 

 kept for bait in bonito fishing were not successful. The description 

 of bonito catching and curing adopted by the islanders is given in 

 detail in Mr. Ellis' report on his IQ08 inspection of these islands. 



From Minikoi we proceeded to KALPENI where we stayed till the 

 iqth December. This island appears at a distance as four separate 

 islets which consist of the island proper and the detached islets of 

 Cheriyam, Tilakam and Pitti. It is one square mile in area and 

 has a population of 1,375 according to the recent enumeration. 

 The main island is long and narrow and about halfway towards 

 its northern end great boulders of coral interpersed with sand and 

 debris make their appearance. In this island, as also in Androth, 

 excavations have been made and regular plots formed for culti- 

 vation purposes in which paddy, sweet potatoes, etc., are raised. 

 The lagoon, though large, is very shallow and this fact makes me 

 to think that eventually a very big island will be formed with the 

 present land as its nucleus at the southern end. Till then the 

 northern half of the island and the lagoon and the small islets 

 towards the south and north should prove admirable collecting 

 ground for zoological specimens and also a very suitable place for 

 studying the general phenomena of the growth and formation of 

 coral islands. 



