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MADRAS FISHERIES BULLETIN 



VOL. XIV, 



the place bitten and a dog being brought, is induced to lick the 

 jaggery off ; in so doing it is believed that the poison will also be 

 removed. In spite of this curious and complicated treatment, 

 after effects of the poison are said sometimes to be experienced for 

 several months afterwards, the usual complaint being that of a 

 continued swelling of the leg bitten. 



Although the bite of the Visha kanaval is esteemed so poisonous, 

 the flesh is considered innocuous and when accidentally brought 

 ashore with other species, it is cooked and eaten together with them. 

 Small Octopods are common on the pearl banks during a fishery 

 and it is not uncommon to find their tiny colourless eggs attached 

 to the inside of an empty pearl-oyster shell. As these fisheries 

 occur in March and April, this then is one of their spawning 

 seasons; possibly like many other tropic sea-creatures a second 

 may occur in September. 



Large species such as P. 

 herdmaiii are scarce. They 

 are found on rocky bottom 

 in the Gulf of Mannar. 



Of the ten-armed Cepha- 

 lopods, the Squids or 

 Calamaries {Loligo) and the 

 Cuttlefishes {Sepia), several 

 species ore common on our 

 Indian coasts. The Octopus 

 has solitary habits, and fre- 

 quents rough bottom where 

 he can ambush his prey ; not 

 so the Decapods. They 

 have far less intelligence 

 and instead of quartering the 

 bottom in quest of prey, swim 

 swiftly through the water in 

 shoals, often of immense 

 numbers. The SQUIDS 

 {Loligo) are the more active, 

 their body long and torpedo 

 shaped and armed with a 

 powerful triangular fin at 

 each side of the body. The 



Fig. 56. Common Squid (Loligo). 



