486 THE PEARL FISHERIES OF CEYLON. 



(who unfortunately died befoi-e his Avork was completed) in 1S5T 

 to 185!) and that of ]\Ir. Holdsworth in 18G5 to 1869, have been 

 undertaken witlioiil niiicli j)racti('al ivsult so far. 



In September, 1<)U1, iMr. Chamberlain asked me to examine the 

 records and report to him oji the matter, and in the following spring 

 I was invited by the Government to go to Ceylon with a scientific 

 assistant and undertake any investigation into the condition of the 

 banks that might be considered necessary. T arrived at Colombo in 

 January, IDOiJ, and, as soon as a steamer could be obtained, proceeded 

 to the pearl banks. In Ajiril it was necessary to return to my uni- 

 versity duties in Liverpool, but I was fortunate in having taken out 

 with me as my assistant Mr. James Hornell. who was to remain in 

 Cejdon for at least a year longer in order to carry out the observa- 

 tions and experiments we had arranged and complete our Avork. 

 This programme has been cari-ied out, and Mv. Ilornell has kept me 

 supplied with weekly reports and with specimens i'e(iuiring detailed 

 examination. 



The Ss. Lady Haveloek was placed by the Cejdon government 

 at my disposal for the work of examining into the liiological condi- 

 tions surrounding the i)earl oyster banks, and this enabled me on 

 two successive cruises of three or four weeks each to examine all the 

 principal banks and run lines of dredging and traAvling and other 

 observations across, ai'ound, and between them, in order to ascertain 

 the conditions that determine an 03'ster bed. Towai'd the end of my 

 stay I took j)art in the annual inspection of the pearl banks, by 

 means of divers, along A^ ith tfie retiring inspector, Capt. J. Donnan, 

 C. M. G., and his successor Captain Legge. Dui-ing that jx'riod we 

 lived and wor-ked on the native bark fiinigasdjiiccpoiuiiree and had 

 daily opportunity of studying the methods of the luitive divers and 

 the results they obtained. 



It is evident that Wu'yo are two distinct questions that may be 

 raised — the lirst as (o (he al)Uiidance of the adult "oysters" and 

 tne second as (o (he number of ]>earls in the oystei's, and it was the 

 first of these rathei- than the frequency of the pearls that seemed 

 to call for investigation, since the complaint has not been as to the 

 number of pearls per adidt oysb'i-, but as to the complete disappear- 

 ance of the shellfish. I was indebted to Captain Donnan for much 

 kind help during the inspection, when he took pains to let me see as 

 thoroughly and satisfactorily as possible the various banks, the 

 different kinds and ages of oj^sters, and the conditions under which 

 these and their enemies exist. I wish also to record my entire satis- 

 faction Avith the Avoi-k done by Mr. Ilornell, both while I was with 

 him and also since. It Avould have been quite impossible for me to 



