130 MADRAS FISHERIES BULLETIN VOL. XIV, 



The chank fisheries of India and Ceylon produce not less than 

 2,000,000 shells per annum. In some years the number may rise to 

 2% millions but of this number only 6 to 8 lakhs are " live " shells, 

 the remainder being sub-fossil shells dug out of the mud of the 

 Jaffna lagoons where they have lain for hundreds and perhaps 

 thousands of years. 



The bulk of the shells fished in all localities are exported to 

 Bengal where the great majority are sawn and carved into bangles, 

 used universally in that province by Hindu women of all castes. 

 In the Tamil districts of Madras, great quantities of small ones are 

 used as amulets against the evil eye, especially in respect of draught 

 bullocks and cows in milk. Another large lot are fashioned into 

 babies' feeding spouts, while the larger ones are used as shell 

 trumpets during religious ceremonies. 



As an article of food the flesh of the chank has come into local 

 prominence only since the Great Famine of 1877 when the families 

 of Parawa chank divers of Tuticorin first made systematic use of it. 

 On the run home from the fishing grounds, the divers extract the 

 foot and head region from the shell, using a strong iron skewer for 

 the purpose. The whole of the glandular tissue in the " tail " of 

 the mollusc is left within the shell. The part extracted is chiefly 

 muscular tissue and carries the large horny operculum. This meat, 

 called sangu sat/iai, is collected in little palmyra-leaf baskets and 

 taken home as soon as the shells have been handed over to the Gov- 

 ernment officers. In preparing it, the flesh is boiled, cooled and 

 then, after pulling off the opercula, cut into thin transverse slices 

 which are sundried. In this condition they keep indefinitely — hard 

 and horny slices looking like very thin chipped potatoes. In 

 cooking, the slices are fried in ghi or in gingelly oil. The bulk of 

 the flesh is consumed by the divers' own families. Its value is 

 12 annas to one rupee per measure. 



The operculum (Tamil, nagaiiain or navauam) of the chank has a 

 considerable value, being in demand for use as a glue in the com- 

 position of incense sticks. An exhaustive monograph upon the 

 chank fisheries and industries., and of the innumerable supersti- 

 tions centring around the shell, is contained in Volume VII of the 

 Madras Fisheries Bulletin. 



A close relative of the sacred chank is the DOG CHANK, 

 Cyjiodonta coniigern, a strong murex-like shell covered with stout 



