i66 



been available for the Ramiiad fisheries and had the 

 weather been more favourable for those of Tuticorin. 

 Mr. Hornell's lagoon fish-farm at Tuticorin, his biologi- 

 cal specimens sold to various colleges, and his revived 

 beche-de-mer industry all yielded substantial profit, but 

 the Pulicat oyster farm showed a small loss, partly for 

 reasons given by Mr. Hornell, partly because it is only 

 on an experimental and not on a commercial scale ; it is 

 an experiment intended primarily to obtain piscicultural 

 data and only secondarily to market the products. For 

 real commercial work the farm would have to be on a 

 far larger scale and probably in a different locality, with 

 an outlet for surplus products by way of canning or 

 preparing oyster (and mussel) extracts. 



The plans and estimates for the projected Krusadai 

 pearl oyster farm off Pamban were laid before Govern- 

 ment ; though costly (Rs. 50,500) at start, it should prove 

 a most lucrative investment; apart from Mr. Hornell's 

 special aims we know from Japanese experience the 

 possibilities of the methods to be adopted at Krusadai ; 

 to repeat what I have said elsewhere, we are likely to 

 obtain continuous annual returns on a considerable scale 

 from a controlled mass of pearl oysters in our fenced farm 

 instead of very occasional (now very rare indeed) returns 

 from chance deep-sea natural fisheries where conditions 

 are absolutely beyond human control. 



17. In accordance with paragraph 7 of G.O. 

 No. 2764, Revenue, dated 5th December 19 16, reviewing 

 my last year's report, proposals have been sent up to 

 Government for reducing Mr. Hornell's routine work 

 so as to give him more time to apply his scientific 

 knowledge in various directions. 



18. Socio-economic zvoj'k. — (Mainly by Assistant Direc- 

 tor, Mr. V. Govindan, b.a., f.z.s.) The formation of 

 co-operative societies took up a good deal of the 

 Assistant Director's time and energy, this work being of 

 extraordinary difficulty among fisherfolk, so much so that 

 ]\Ir. Hornell is not sanguine of present results in his 

 locality, as shown in his report printed below. Three 

 societies were in existence at the beginning of the year 

 on the West Coast and four more were started during 

 the year, with preparation for several others of which 

 four have since been formed. One of these was at 



