128 MADRAS FISHERIES BULLETIN VOL. XV, 



intensely malarious Nandya and Chelama forest ranges on the 

 Nallamalais. Operations will be extended to other ranges next 

 season. 



Our third line of attack upon malarious waters is perhaps even 

 more important. Two instances where operations are in progress, 

 are the conversion of the fort moats at Chingleput and Vellore 

 into fish-farms. In both cases, until these operations were com- 

 menced, these moats formed stagnant pools, overgrown with 

 dense pond vegetation, supremely suitable as harbourage to 

 mosquito larvae. As a consequence, malaria was endemic within 

 both forts, an extremely serious condition seeing that a large 

 reformatory for boys is located within the Chingleput Fort, whilst 

 a Police Training School is similarly located within that of Vellore. 

 The cost of the two schemes is estimated at Rs. 11,450 and 

 Rs. 16,000, respectively. When completed, the moats will cease to 

 harbour mosquito larvae and will concurrently become ideal fish- 

 breeding farms, whence large supplies of fry will be available for 

 the stocking of the many large tanks now under the control of 

 this department in Chingleput and Nellore districts. 



VII.— STAFF AND COST OF THE DEPARTMENT. 



This note, which is intended to take account only of the major 

 operations, will not be complete without a few brief statistics. 

 For the importance of its duties the staff is small. It consists of a 

 Director, 2 Assistant Directors, a Superintendent of Pearl and 

 Chank Fisheries, a Personal Assistant to the Director, Q Sub- 

 Assistants and a further subordinate staff of 44 exclusive of peons 

 and temporary hands and the crews of the small fleet operated by 

 the department. 



As before mentioned the revenue of the department nearly 

 balances expenditure. The figures for the past four years are as 

 follows :— 



Ex| enc'itrre. 



RS. A. P. 



1917-18 ... 2,26,230 2 5 2,20,049 7 2 



1918-19 ... 2,77,145 o 11 2,35,118 12 II 



I9I9-2O ... 2,26,874 2 2 2,45,960 15 8 



1920-21 ... 2,29,419 9 4 2,93,026 12 2 



9,94,iS5 x 5 IJ 



