63 



24- Pearl and Chank Fisheries. — These will, as usual, 

 be separately reported on in detail ; only an abstract 

 follows. Mr. Hornell continued as Superintendent of 

 these fisheries with J. A. Fernandez as his Sub- Assistant. 



Nothing was possible in the matter of pearl fisheries 

 except such inspections, chiefiy by means of dredging, as 

 were possible with the " Turbinella " ; no pearl oysters 

 are yet visible, but Mr. Hornell believes that the condi 

 tions are favourable for a spat-fall, and he obtained the 

 sanction of Government for a small and new experiment 

 in protecting a batch of oysters should they appear, in 

 view not only to provide a breeding reserve but to test 

 the possibility of doing this on a large scale. 



Mr. Hornell also carried out investigations upon the 

 anatomy and identity of certain fish-parasites, a subject 

 intimately connected with the problem of pearl produc- 

 tion ; an account of three new species which were found 

 and of a new genus which had to be created for one of 

 these, has been published under the title of New 

 Cestodes from Indian Fishes in the " Records of the 

 Indian Museum" for 1912. 



25. The chank fisheries of the previous season were 

 sold during the year on a novel method, viz., a three-year 

 contract. For one reason or other the regular contractors 

 declined to make any bids for the shells though of very 

 good quality and ready-sorted by the department into 

 the nine grades recognised by the trade, so that buyers 

 know exactly what was on offer. Eventually the 

 Superintendent negotiated a three-year lease on favour- 

 able terms with a new contractor from Dacca who faith- 

 fully redeemed his contract and will accordingly take all 

 the shells for the current and next year's fishery ; this 

 relieves us of much annual worry and is good business 

 for the contractor. 



The current season's catches have been unusually 

 deficient, chiefiy owing to a long period of disturbed 

 weather which discouraged or debarred men already 

 only too ready to seek other less difficult work, as for 

 instance, in Tuticorin harbour or on the Pamban railway. 

 In view of the probable decrease of divers, whose sons 

 do not seem likely to follow their ancestral business, the 

 Superintendent proposed and Government sanctioned 

 the hiring of a couple of crews of Arabs from the Persian 

 Gulf, but it was not possible to get them for the current 



