78 



were it not that the establishment of such a fishery would be 

 likely to prove detrimental to existing inshore fisheries, more 

 especially to the sardine industry. This might be occasioned 

 both by (a) an active interference by hampering the canoe 

 fishermen while occupied in shooting and hauling their nets and 

 (b) by disturbing the bottom. We shall see in the third section 

 that the evidence gathered during our cruise tends strongly to 

 show that Indian sardines feed upon or close to the bottom and 

 therefore any extensive disturbance of the diatomaceous scum 

 flourishing thereon would probably entail disastrous effects upon 

 this most important industry. The further investigations 

 contemplated should furnish sufficient data to determine this 

 matter definitely and if my fears be confirmed, it may be 

 advisable eventually to pass a regulation prohibiting trawling 

 within inshore waters. 



29. The narrow zone between the 30-fathom line and the 

 edge of the submarine cliff which abruptly demarcates the 

 seaward limit of the shallow-water shelf or plateau margining 

 the coast remains for consideration ; unfortunately the Margarita 

 proved quite unsuitable for deep-water dredging and we were 

 able to make but a few hauls, and these in no greater depth than 

 40 fathoms. However as the bottom along the edge of sound- 

 ings, say between 40 and 90 fathoms, appears from the chart to 

 consist of much the same variety of bottom as we found between 

 36 and 40 fathoms — fine sand with shells, stones, and an 

 occasional patch of rock — it is to be expected that the same 

 faunistic results will prevail generally over such area. 



30. What we found was that wherever bottom of inter- 

 mingled sand, stones, and rock occurs between the 30 and 40 

 fathom lines, decapod crustaceans and gastropod molluscs are 

 exceedingly abundant with a show of small rock fishes 

 (Serranus spp.). The great variety of crustaceans is most 

 characteristic ; every haul made brought up large numbers of 

 two species of swimming-crabs, while the bastard or broad- 

 headed lobster Scyllarus and the strange brown velvet clothed 

 ball-crab Dromia, were numerous. No samples of rocky bottom 

 were obtained although on one occasion we had unwelcome 

 evidence of its presence in a badly torn trawl net. The larger 

 material lying on the bottom consisted principally of dead shells 

 increased in size by accretion, the bygrowth over and upon 

 them by massive colonies of polyzoa, small oyster shells and 

 worm tubes. In one haul we brought up a large fragment of 

 furnace slag measuring S by 8 by 4 inches, evidently thrown 

 out from some passing steamer. 



Sea-fans, sponges, zoophytes and echinoderms, so common 

 on hard bottom on the eastern coast, were practically absent ; 



