27 
beds, especially those interspersed with many rocky 
patches giving foothold to luxuriant animal and plant life. 
The less mixed the sands of the chank-bed are with 
islands of coral and sponge life the less infected with 
Clione are the shells. Again, on beds regularly fished 
year after year the percentage of wormed shells is always 
low, and the shells of regular size. On beds seldom 
fished, the proportion of large and badly infected shells 
is always very high, and remains so till a thorough 
weeding out of the old shells has taken place. 
Tuticorin chanks are noted for their solidity, weight 
and hardness. Samples of too shells containing average 
numbers of all sizes above 22 inches diameter have been 
repeatedly weighed and in all cases the weight exceeded 
9o lbs. per 100 shells, the actual average ofall lots being 
93 lbs. Shells between 2} and 22 inches diameter weigh 
54 lbs. to the too shells. 
The chank godowns are large rooms divided into a 
number of temporary divisions or bins to accommodate the 
various grades of shells. Cleaning is left to nature which 
here takes the form of innumerable fly-maggots. These 
eat out the contents of the shells, windows being 
thoughtfully provided in the godowns for the entry of the 
parent flies. The odour evolved from the heaps of shells 
is twin to that of pearl-oysters when being ‘rotted ;” the 
local golf links come within too yards of the godowns and 
at one hole there is occasional complaint that the spicy 
breeze is somewhat rank in flavour. 
Previous to 1910, the season’s catch was advertised 
and sold yearly by tender tothe highest bidder. In some 
years (1885 to 1891) the shells were put up to public 
auction, but this method led to abuse—the rich men 
buying off competition—and the old system of calling for 
offers by sealed tender was reverted to. 
In 1910 a contract was made for a three-years term 
with a Dacca firm of chank-merchants and as _ this 
modification in the manner of disposing of the shells has 
proved of advantage both to the buyers and to Govern- 
ment, it 1s probable that, whenever possible, this system 
will be followed in future. 
The form of advertisement used in calling for tenders 
is given in the appendix. 
