21 



that a boat had been fitted up with a brush-dynamo and 

 electric globe for the pearl fishery in South Australia by a 

 Glasgow firm. Dm^ing a recent visit to Europe, I made a 

 series of inquiries as to the possibility of obtaining a light, 

 such as was required ; but, though there was abundant 

 evidence as to the use of the electric light for surface work, 

 salvage operations, and scientific dredging,^ the general 

 opinion of those best qualified to judge was that it would, 

 for the proposed purpose, be a failure. It has been sug- 

 gested by Mr. Gr. W. Phipps, who was for many years 

 Superintendent of the Tuticorin pearl banks, that, if a sheet 

 of thick glass could be let into the lower plates of a vessel 

 and there protected both outside and inside in some way 

 from accident, a study of the sea-bottom in clear water, 

 either by day with the sun's rays or by night by the use of 

 a powerful electric light, might be made. In a letter to 

 Grovernment Mr. C. E. Fryer, Inspector of Fisheries, makes 

 the sound suggestion " that the observations which the Grov- 

 ernment of Madras desire to make upon the habits of the 

 pearl oysters would be greatly facilitated by the employment 

 of a diver equipped with an ordinary diving dress. By this 

 means a prolonged stay could be made by an observer on 

 the sea-bottom, who could not only make an accurate survey 

 of the bed, but could periodically examine the same ground, 

 select specimens, and make minute observations, which would 

 be impossible to a native diver, whose stay at the bottom is 

 limited to a minute or so." To these remarks I may add 

 my own experience at the Tuticorin fishery, where, by 

 examination of the shells of the oysters brought up by the 

 divers, by expending small sums of money which tempted 

 the native divers to bring me such marine animals as they 

 met with at the sea-bottom, by conversation with the 

 European diver, who was, further, able to bring up large 

 coral blocks (Porites, Madrepora, Hydnophora, Pocillojwraf 

 Titrbinaria, &c.) for examination, and by dredging, I was 

 able to form some idea as to the conditions under which the 

 pearl oysters were living. On clear days it was possible to 

 distinguish the sandy from the rocky patches by the effect 

 of light and shade, and from hauls of the dredge over the 

 former not only many moUusca, &o., but also specimens 



^ Vide Herdman's 2iid Annual Report on the Puffin Island Biological 

 Station. 



