REPORT 



ON 



THE SUITABILITY OF PDLIOAT LAKE 

 FOR OYSTER-CULTURE, 



BY 



JAMES HORNELL, f.l.s. 



[One Sketch Plan.] 



I. — Location and Characteristics of the several Beds 

 and Patches now existing. 



During three weeks in August 1908 devoted to a tour of 

 inspection of Pulicat Lake, I was able to locate eight distinct 

 beds and patches of edible oysters. I believe the search, which 

 extended from Yeda-mani kuppani in the south to Tada, Venadu 

 and Kasuba kuppani in the north, was exhaustive and that these 

 eight locations comprise every bed at present existing. 



Taking them in order from south to north and assigning 

 them distinctive names appropriate to their situations, they are — 



(1) Yedamani kuppam (5) Sinna paraval bed. 



bed. (6) Pudupettai bed. 



(2) Pulicat bed. (7) Karimanal inlet bed. 



(3) Lighthouse bed. (8) Vannanturai bed. 



(4) Kotta kuppam bed. 



Of these, the Sinna paraval, Karimanal inlet, Vannanturai 

 and Lighthouse beds are of greatest importance ; they may 

 therefore receive first attention. 



Sinna Paraval Bed. 



This, the most extensive of presently existing oyster settle- 

 ments, is situated as a deposit of scattered patches along the 

 north-west shore of the northernmost of the Pulicat Islands. 

 To reach it we pass through the channel separating Pulicat 

 Island from Karimanal and then turn west into the shallow arm 

 of the lake called Sinna paraval which lies between Pulicat and 

 the mainland on the west and north-west. 



The eastern end of the bed is about half a mile from the 

 northern end of the canal cutting facing Karimanal. and extends 

 as a rather narrow band, following the curve of the land, for 

 some three-quarters of a mile to the south-west. 



