89 



JjithodomvLs teres, riiilipp. Ram^svaram and Tuticorin. From 



cavities bored in coral. 

 Avicula fucata, Gould. Tuticorin. The pearl oyster. 



,, iuquinata, Reeve. Eamesvaram. On the branches of 

 Gorgonicd. 

 Avicula radiata, Pease. Tuticorin. On the branches of Gor- 



gonia. 

 Avicula vexiUura, Reeve. Ram^svaram and Tuticorin. Some- 

 times found in masses attached to the branches of hyroids. 

 Area scidptilis, Reeve. Eamesvaram. From cavities in coral. 

 ,, virescens, Reeve. Ramesvaram. From cavities in coral. 

 ,, (Anadara) granosa, Linn. Ramesvaram. 

 ,, (Barbatia) lima, Reeve. Tuticorin. From cavities in 

 coral. 

 Area fusca,5rMy. Ramesvaram. From cavities in coral. 



,, (Scapharca) sp. Tuticorin. 

 Mucula layardi, Ad. Ramesvaram and Tuticorin. 

 Leda mauritiana, Soiv. Ramesvaram and Tuticorin. 

 Pecten crassicostatus, Soiv. Ramesvaram and Tuticorin. 

 ,, tendineus. Tuticorin. 

 „ varius, Linn. Ramesvaram. 

 ,, (Pallium) plica, Linn. Ramesvaram. 

 Spondylus, sp. Rdmesvaram. 



Vulsella rugosa, Lvik. Ramesvaram. From cavity in coral. 

 Ostrsea, sp. Ramesvaram. 



PISCES. 



The following list comprises those species of fishes which 

 I have either recorded or preserved during my visits to 

 Tuticorin or Pdraban, which latter place I made my head- 

 quarters while exploring the coral reefs which fringe the 

 shores of Rdmesvaram and the neighbouring islands. 

 These visits have always been made during the months of 

 Jidy and August, so that my examination of the fish fauna 

 has been confined to a very limited period of the year, and 

 it will doubtless be foimd, on more extended research, to 

 vary according to the season or monsoon. 



The most characteristic feature of the fauna, as con- 

 trasted with that of other parts of the coast of the Madras 

 Presidency, is the prevalence of the so-called " coral fishes " ^ 

 {Chcetodon, Heniochus, Pseudoscarus, &g.), for the most 

 brightly coloured fishes which abound over the reefs and 



1 Indicated by an asterisk. 



M 



