Report No. 5 of 1921. 



THH MADRAS MARINE AQUARIUM 



BY 



JAMES HORNELL, F.L.S., F.R.A.I., 

 Direclor of Fhheries, Madras. 



INTRODUCTORY. 



This aquarium has the distinction of being the only one on the 

 Asiatic mainland ; indeed, except for the ephemeral ones erected 

 from time to time in Japan, it may be claimed as the first attempt 

 of its kind east pf Suez. 



It was designed by Mr. E. Thurston during the last years of his 

 tenure of the post of Superintendent of the Madras Museum ; the 

 present writer well remembers discussing the arrangement of the 

 tanks with him, and giving what advice lay in his power, little 

 thinking that the whirligig of time would bring him the responsible 

 charge of its superintendence. 



It was erected by the Madras Government primarily with a 

 view to give the public an opportunity of learning something of 

 the wonderful wealth of life in the sea at their doors, and partly 

 to afford facilities for the study of the habits of marine animals. 

 From the first it was an immense popular success, so much so that 

 in 1912, the then Governor of Madras, Sir Arthur Lawley, decided 

 upon enlarging it. The Fisheries Department had then come upon 

 the scene and at the urgent representation of the writer that an 

 aquarium is a necessity for efficient fishery research. Government 

 decided to incorporate with the proposed new aquarium, a series 

 of laboratories and offices suitable to form an up-to-date Fisheries 

 Biological Station. Plans have been drawn out but as they are 

 not likely to materialize for some years to come, the utmost has to 

 be made of the existing aquarium. 



The present building was opened to the public on the 2lst 

 October 1909. It remained in charge of the Superintendent of the 

 Museum till 1919, when it was transferred to the Department of 



