-I^S MADRAS FISHERIES BULLETIN VOL. XI, 



people themselves are beginning to wake up to the need for edu- 

 cation, and that it will be welcomed, especially in the somewhat 

 wide form which has been suggested, both on literary, technical, 

 practical, and social lines. 



14. Mr. HonicWs work. — As Mr. Hornell's report both as Marine 

 Biologist and as Superintendent of Pearl and Chank Fisheries, 

 is printed almost in full, repetition here is needless. Owing 

 to financial exigencies the projected Krusadai Pearl Oyster Farm, 

 where pearls are to be "induced "and grown under complete 

 control has had to be postponed " forthe duration "; the biological 

 station and new aquarium at Madras with headquarters therein for 

 fisheries, has similarly been postponed, and still more regrettably, 

 the exploration of the deep sea by a special vessel. 



The chank fishery yielded good results and profits, though the 

 number of shells fished was much smaller than expected, owing to 

 various reasons. A trial expedition to fish the Ceylon chank beds 

 which are free to all comers resulted favourably, and is being 

 repeated. Statement I annexed to this report gives an abstract of 

 expenditure and receipts in the Marine branch and Statement III 

 gives details for the chank fisheries. For further details the 

 report may be consulted. 



15. Inland waters. — Similarly the pisciculturist's report is printed 

 almost in full. 



It may be noted that the gourami obtained from Mauritius and 

 Java have now bred successfully, so that a considerable stock of 

 ihese very valuable food fish is in hand; so also of Etroplus; the 

 tench. introduced from the Nilgiris have not yet bred. 



Certain important items are briefly mentioned in paragraph 4 

 supra; more details will be found in the report. 



An important experiment in fishing deep water tanks was at 

 last initiated. In this Presidency, the irrigation tanks in general 

 are exhausted of water in a few months when, of course, all fish in 

 the tanks would perish except those which, like murrel, aestivate 

 deep down in the mud. Hence the universal method of fishing is 

 to await the fall of the water almost to exhaustion when, by a 

 general battue, practically all the fish are captured. But if the 

 tank is deep and contains permanent water or obtains supplies 

 which keep up the level for a year or so, the tank remains unfished 

 for want of any fishing material or method; in other words, pre- 

 cisely when conditions are favourable for the growth of a large 

 head of fish, such fish are left uncaptured, so that the food supply 



