9 



Both beds are patches of small extent, the Lighthouse bed 

 considerably the larger. The oysters in both places are fairly 

 well grown aud may be classed as intermediate in character 

 between those of Karimanal inlet and those of the Sinna Paraval. 

 Some barnacles are present on the shells and a considerable 

 amount of algae. The Lighthouse bed lies in water from 6 inches 

 to 1J feet in depth at low-tide (7th August), the bottom being 

 black sandv mud without any cultch save dead ovster and 

 mactra shells. 



The sponge Clione, and the polychaet worm Polydora, both 

 shell borers, were noted. Some mussels less than \ inch long 

 were plentiful around the umbonal attachments of the oysters ; 

 other conspicuous life was very meagre. 



The condition of the oysters was healthy but the bodies 

 were small ns compared with the weight of the shells. The 

 gonads were not well filled. Average length (dorso- ventral 

 depth) was 4 J inches. 



Yedamani Kuppam Bed. 



This appears to be a natural oyster patch ; it occupies a 

 position where the conditions are naturally favourable to oyster 

 spatting, being at the mouth of the creek which separates 

 Yedamani Island from Pulicat town. The depth of water over 

 the bed is from 1J to 2 feet at low water. The bottom 

 is muddv sand ; the cultch, dead ovster shells as usual. The 

 channel of the canal runs alongside this bed and as the lake 

 shallows on the other side of this patch, there is no room for 

 any extension of this bed by culture. Presumptive age about 

 3 years. 



Koita Kuppam Bed. 



Kotta kuppam bed lies on the south side of the channel 

 between Pulicat and Karimanal and along the north edge of 

 the long shoal which skirts- Pulicat Island on the east. It is of 

 no importance being small and incapable of extension. The 

 oysters here are very scattered ; many large dead shells are 

 present. Hnbit and condition of the oysters are similar to those 

 of the Lighthouse bed. Barnacles occasionally present ; the 

 bottom fairly clean sand. Age apparently 3 years. 



Pudupettai Bed. 



The last bed to be noted is the Pudupettai bed. It lies in 

 a little bight of land immediately to the north of the Karimanal 

 Canal lock in f to 1 foot of water at low-tide. The oysters are 

 thickly spread over a limited area ; judging from the size the 

 age would appear to be about 3 years. In the shallow tidal 



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