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Mangalore, is composed of a soft dark grey mud with small dead 

 shells, chiefly bivalves, more or less sparsely distributed through 

 it. As a rule the sedentary fauna of this area outside of the 

 10 -fathom line is extremely scanty consisting principally of small 

 lamellibranchs {Tellina, Area, etc.), some Denialium and small 

 gastropods with occasional hauls of large and beautiful Rostellana 

 and Turritella. Apart from these the fauna is sparse and 

 inconspicuous, while algae are of course entirely absent ; to 

 describe the bottom in the parlance of the dredgerman, there is 

 cc no feed on the ground," that is to say, such a poverty of life 

 exists on the bottom that there is little attraction there for 

 bottom-feeding fishes. These adverse conditions and their 

 bearing on the number of bottom fishes in the neighbourhood 

 are shown in the following details of typical hauls made at 

 several different centres between Ponnani and Malpe ; the 

 particulars are taken almost verbatim from field notes made at 

 the time the trawl was hauled. 



6. Haul 2, 23rd October 1908. Shot-trawl 10-40 a.m. in 

 15 fathoms, Narrakal bearing S. 86° E. Course N. by W. 

 Hauled at 11-30 a.m. in 14 fathoms. Bottom all the way soft 

 dark grey mud with a few small dead shells. Result : — 

 1 scorpion fish (Pterois russeUi), two small cuttlefish [Sepia)., 

 one small flat-fish (Pseudorhomhus arsius) and a few small 

 gastropod shells. 



7. Haul 3, 26th October. Shot-trawl 8 a.m. in 7 fathoms, 

 Calicut lighthouse bearing N. 81° E., 3J miles, course west ; 

 hauled trawl at 8-50 a.m. in J3| fathoms ; bottom soft mud all 

 the way with shells of a small hairy Area and a pink Tellina. 

 Result: — 19 small fishes, mostly Pristipoma guoraka, a common 

 species distinguished in Malayalam by the onomatopoeic name 

 of KorrukuruppM, because of the loud croaking noise it makes 

 when taken out of the water. None of these fishes were over 

 5 inches long. Current running north. 



8. Haul 8, Gth November. From 10 into 12 fathoms, 

 south-west of Calicut, 5 to 6 miles from land. Bottom, dark 

 grey mud. Result : — Two adult Psettode.# immei, a stoutly 

 built flat-fish, four young soles, 2 to 6 inches long, five small 

 Drepane punctata* one silver pomfret, 23 small round fish 

 of six species and one Ray (Pteroplatea micrara), 24 inches 

 across disc. Also 14 prawns averaging 7 inches long and two 

 cuttlefish (Sepia). 



9. Haul 5, 6th November. Eight fathoms north-west of 

 Beypore; bottom dark grey mud with dead shells of small Area 



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