Gujarat and Kathiawar, (d) the causes which made the 

 chank fisheries so profitable in the early years of the 

 nineteenth century, and (c) the question whether the use 

 of chank baneles amono- a few sections of several castes 

 in South India is in the nature of a survival of a once 

 universal custom or whether it had primarily a totemistic 

 significance. The origin of the custom of wearing 

 broad chank bangles by the Buddhist women of Thibet 

 and the Himalayas is another obscure point. 



At some future date I trust to be able to publish an 

 account of the anatomy and life-habits of the chank, 

 together with precise details of the many interesting 

 local races or varieties which are found to characterise 

 different localities in Indian littoral waters. 



To all who have rendered assistance I offer very 

 grateful acknowledgment of many kindnesses received ; 

 my office staff have in particular been most zealous in 

 exploring all the bye-ways of chank-lore within the 

 bounds of their opportunities and it gives me special 

 pleasure in having this opportunity to express my thanks 

 for their most valuable help— my Sub-Assistant, Mr. 

 J. .A.. Fernandez, more especially has rendered noteworthy 

 help in all that relates to the connection which has 

 subsisted between the Parawa community and the chank 

 industry from time immemorial. 



