18; 



Letter — from the Chairman and Members of the Committee 

 appointed to report on the proposals regarding the 

 projected new Aquarium for Madras. 



Dated— tht i6th January 191 2. 



In accordance with the direction contained in G.O. 

 No. 2336, Revenue, dated 1st Auoust 191 1, the com- 

 mittee therein appointed met this day under the chair- 

 manship of Dr. A. G. Bourne, f.r.s., to consider the 

 suggestions made by Sir F. Nicholson in his letter of 

 31st May 191 1 regarding the enlargement of the scope 

 and usefulness of the new Marine Aquarium which it is 

 proposed to build in Madras. 



2. We the undersigned members of this Committee 

 are unanimous in expressing our entire approval of the 

 scheme and have little to add to the proposals. 



3. The association of the management of the 

 Aquarium with the Fisheries Department is an obvious 

 desirability, and it will be an arrangement both econo- 

 mical and of great practical advantage if one of the 

 officers of the department named be ex-officio the 

 Director of the new institution. 



4. The interests of the Fisheries Department 

 require that the location of their head-quarters should 

 be at Madras, but were there no compensating advan- 

 tages such as those which will be conferred {a) by the 

 utilisation of the fishery investigation vessel and the 

 fishery motor-boats for the supply of living material for 

 the aquarium tanks and for biological research, and [b) 

 by the use of the Fishery out-stations at Tuticorin and 

 elsewhere, Madras would not be the most suitable 

 location fc^r a Marine Biolog^ical station. The Com- 

 mittee are of opinion that if arrangements be made to 

 afford opportunity for biological research at the Tuti- 

 corin Fishery station and particularly if special provision 

 be made eventually for the opening of a small Biolo- 

 gical out-station at Pamban where research on a rich 

 coral reef fauna and flora may be prosecuted with 

 great facility, then the disadvantage inherent in the 



■Madras location will be counterbalanced. The provi- 

 sion of research facilities at Tuticorin will involve no 

 extra expenditure as the Fishery Department already 

 maintains an establishment there. 



The desirability also of fully investigating local 

 freshwater piscicultural problems further points to 



