62 



2 2. Marine pisciculture. — This is necessarily of 

 newer date than inland work, and is entirely due 

 to and was carried out by Mr. James Hornell, as 

 Marine Assistant. The experiment in oyster culture at 

 Pulicat, mentioned in last year's report and based on 

 small experiments at Ennore and Mr. Hornell's visit to 

 Arcachon, was successfully continued ; Mr. Hornell 

 has been able greatly to simplify and economise on the 

 methods, etc., used at first starting-, and notwithstanding 

 vicissitudes, due mainly to the excessively low water of 

 the lake by reason of drought, he expects this midsummer, 

 a fine batch of mature cultivated oysters, that is within 

 2 1 months from spat-fall to maturity; thenceforward 

 increasing quantities will be periodically available. The 

 experience gained already has been found useful in 

 connection with the scheme for oyster conservation and 

 replenishment at Karachi about which Mr. Hornell was 

 originally, and continues from time to time to be, consult- 

 ed ; it will of course immensely help ourselves in future 

 experiments and in educational work. The further 

 difficulties are those of marketing the produce either raw 

 or otherwise. 



23. Fish-farming was also taken up : Mr. Hornell 

 made several tours of general enquiry and found many 

 places on both coasts suitable for fish-farming, especially 

 in Ganjam where, in fact, a respectable person was 

 induced to take up on a very promising site and on lines 

 indicated by Mr. Hornell, a small experiment. A capital 

 site for the departmental fish farm was, however, selected 

 at Tuticorin close to the chank o-odowns since this 

 is Mr. Hornell's head-quarters as Superintendent of Pearl 

 and Chank Fisheries, and we have there a staff capable 

 of working on Mr. Hornell's instructions ; the detailed 

 scheme was drawn up during the year and has been 

 sanctioned by Government. In this farm fish, oysters, 

 pearl oysters, chanks, etc., will be grown and their biono- 

 mics and suitability for growth in captivity, carefully 

 studied, to the probable great advantage of commercial 

 piscicultural work ; the proximity of the Tuticorin market 

 will also demonstrate the business value of lagoon fish- 

 farming. Certain very important and probably lucrative 

 researches will also now be possible as regards the breed- 

 ing of chanks and the development of pearls in the pearl 

 oyster. 



