2 OKHAMANDAL MARINE ZOOLOGY REPORT 



It had boon a question of anxious consideration as to the time best suited to carry 

 on the investigation, especially as my duties in Ceylon precluded my being away save 

 in summer (May to September), or (luring December and part of January. The latter 

 period was, as I have said, the. period eventually chosen, the principal reason being 

 that at this time the weather is normally sufficiently favourable to allow of investigation 

 being carried on both in the channels around Beyt Island, upon the reefs adjoining, and 

 also upon the exposed seaward or western coast of Okhamandal promontory. 



Results showed that this choice was the best possible, as at any other time the 

 violence of the south-west monsoon renders the western coast inaccessible. 



FIG. 1. Shells of the black-lip Pearl Oyster (M. margaritifera) on sale in the Dwarka bazaar. 

 They hail most probably from the Persian Gulf. 



A considerable amount of preliminary evidence had been gathered by Mr. Pradhan, 

 the Vahivatdar, at the instance of the Sar Subha of His Highness the Gaekwar's State, 

 the cultured and progressive Dewan Bahadur V. M. Samarth, B.A., to whose energy 

 and enlightened foresight the inception of the present inquiry is largely due. 



The facts pointing to the possibility of developing the resources of the seas 

 and shores of this portion of the Baroda dominions were principally the two 

 following, viz. : 



(a) The neighbouring State of Jamnagar, of which the coast-line is a continuation 



