CATALOGUE OF INSTITUTIONS— INDIA 



223 



Krusadai Biological Station ('37) 



History or origin: Krusadai Island was acquired in 

 1916 from the Rajah of Ramnad by the Govern- 

 ment to serve as a Biological Station. 



Location: Krusadai Island in the Gulf of Mannar, 

 close to Pamban Railway Station on the Indo- 

 Ceylon Railway. 



Organization to which attached: Madras Fisheries 

 Department. 



Purpose: Fishery research with special reference to 

 Pearl and Chank Fisheries. 



Scope of activities: Collection and analysis of plank- 

 ton, collection of data regarding various economic 

 fisheries of the neighborhood, collection and iden- 

 tification of various food fish, the maintenance of 

 a daily record of hydrographical observations 

 including the collection of surface samples of sea 

 water, studies of live fish and other marine or- 

 ganisms, pearl fishery research, studies of chanos 

 culture. 



Equipment: Laboratory, aquarium tanks, two fish 

 ponds for cultivating Gambusia (Barbadoes Mil- 

 lions), a mosquito larvecidal fish; 1 boat; 1 

 canoe. 



Stajf: Assistant Biologist, Dr. D. W. Devanesan, 

 M.A., Ph.D., D.I.C.; Research Assistant, S. T. 

 Varadarajan, M.A. ; 1 laboratory attendant; 2 

 boatmen. 



Provision for visiting investigators: Six places. 



The Madras Aquarium ('37) 



History or origin: Opened on October 21, 1909. 

 Location: Sandy sea beach (Marina Beach), near 



the Presidency College, Madras. 

 Organization to which attached: Madras Fisheries 



Department. 

 Purpose: To provide amusement to the public; 



to study the habits of live sea-fish. 

 Scope of activities: Exhibiting live-fish in Aquaria; 

 exhibiting delicate marine organisms such as her- 

 mit crabs, sea crabs, and sea-anemones; analysis 

 of samples of .sea-water. 

 Equipment: Aquaria for marine fishes supplied with 

 sea-water from overhead tanks; a turtle pond; a 

 gold fish pond; laboratory; restaurant. 

 Staff: Scientific: Director of Fisheries, Dr. B. 

 Sundara Raj, M.A., Ph.D.; Assistant biologist; 

 Dr. D. W. Devanesan, M.A., Ph.D., D.I.C.; 

 Personal assistant to the director, Dr. M. 

 Ramaswami Naidu, B.A., Ph.D. 



Technical: Mr. M. K. Giriappa, laboratory assist- 

 ant. 

 Maintenance: 3 keepers and one peon. 



Provision for visiting investigators: Three seats. 



Income. Source : Aquarium gate collections. 

 Amount: About Rs 7,000 per annum. 



Provision for publication of results: In the publica- 

 tions of the Madras Fisheries Department. 



Madras Fisheries Department 



History or origin: In April, 1907, the Government 

 accepted the proposal of Sir F. A. Nicholson for the 

 initiation of a small Bureau of Fisheries for Madras. 



Location: Madras Presidency (with Headquarters 

 at Madras). 



Organization to which attached: The Government of 

 Madras. 



Purposes: To introduce improved methods of fish- 

 ing ; to improve methods of manufacture in existing 

 fishing industries, and to introduce new industries; 

 and to work for the socio-economic betterment of 

 the fishing population. 



Scope of activities: Oceanographical research so far 

 as it relates to the Department and administration 

 of the Fisheries of the Madras Presidency. 



Equipjnent: (1) Krusadai Fishery Research Station, 

 Gulf of Manner. (2) West Hill Fishery Research 

 Station, South Malabar. (3) Ennur Fisheries 

 Station (near Madras) for supply of biological 

 specimens. (4) Marine Aquarium (Madras) with 

 a small Fishery Laboratory attached to it. (5) 

 Library of Fishery Literature. 



Vessels: 

 Lady Nicholson — motor schooner; built in 1913 at 

 Calcutta; original cost Rs 115,000; gross tonnage 86 

 tons; 131 horse-power; speed 8.14 knots;length 107 feet, 

 breadth 24 feet. Employed for the inspection of pearl- 

 banks. 



Sea Scout — motor launch; built in 1923 in England; 

 original cost Rs 37,000; gross tonnage 20 tons; 40 

 horse-power, speed 8.66 knots; length 48 feet 6 inches, 

 breadth 9 feet. Employed for towing pearl and chank 

 fishing boats. 



Leverett — motor launch; built in 1917 at Cochin; 

 original cost Rs 7,000; gross tonnage 10 tons; 26-30 

 horse-power; speed 10 knots; length 28 feet 7 inches, 

 breadth 8 feet. Employed for towing pearl and chank 

 fishing boats. 



Pearl — motor launch; built in 1909 by Dan Motor and 

 Co., Ipswich; original cost Rs 3,847; gross tonnage 5 

 tons; 7 horse-power; speed 4.5 knots; length 25 feet 3 

 inches, breadth 7 feet 2 inches. Emploj'ed for towing 

 pearl and chank fishing boats but at present disabled. 



