126 MADRAS FISHERIES BULLETIN VOL. XV, 



section, colleges throughout India were compelled to base their 

 practical zoological teaching either upon text-book illustrations or 

 to buy specimens at expensive rates from European Biological 

 Stations. The Madras Fisheries Department has therefore become 

 a Swadeshi organization in the true sense of the word ; zoological 

 study in India can in future be based upon locally obtained 

 supplies. In this connexion I wish to draw attention to the fact that 

 this useful work is not limited to the Madras Presidency ; indeed 

 the chief customers are colleges in the north of India, hence it is 

 essentially an all-India service that we are rendering. 



Our intention is eventually to supply all local school museums 

 with typical sets of properly identified collections of common 

 marine animals to replace the present useless jumble of unnamed 

 specimens that serve no useful purpose, and are but a camouflage 

 device to give school inspectors the idea that the boys take an 

 interest in Natural History. These type collections are accom- 

 panied by printed explanatory notes, giving all important and 

 interesting facts touching the specimens. 



The value of the specimens sent out during the past three years 

 shows clearly how appreciated by teaching institutions are the 

 facilities thus provided. The figures are as follows : — 



RS. A. p. 



1 91 7-18 ... ... Receipts ... ... 755 11 o 



191S-19 ... ... Do. ... ... 1.257 14 6 



1919-20 ... ... Do. ... . . 1,607 12 o 



1920-21 ... ... Do. ... ... 3,131 4 o 



V— SOCIO-ECONOMICS. 



This section though always kept steadily in view from the first 

 as ultimately one of the most important to which attention must be 

 given, has been taken up comparatively recently in an extensive 

 form. The staff detailed to its promotion is small and this of 

 itself limits progress. The conservatism and suspicion of the 

 fisherfolk already emphasized is another bar to rapid progress. 

 Hence it is gratifying to record that this department, working in 

 close touch with the Registrar of Co-operative Societies, has been 

 so successful in preparing the ground and in carrying out prelimi- 

 nary arrangements, that the number of fishermen's co-operative 

 societies had risen to 60 at the close of last year, with several 

 further applications pending. The majority of these are thrift 



