1901.] MOLLTJSKS PROM THE PERSIAN GULF. 341 



species. Further off the shore, in deeper water, the bottom is soft 

 black mud, from which several interesting specimens have been 

 obtained, as will be seen from the List. 



Gais {or Kais) Island. — An oval-shaped island, about 8 miles 

 east and west by 4 north and south, low-lying, and chiefly 

 composed of dead coral and sandstone. Dredging has been done 

 on the north with little or no success, the bottom from 20 to 8 

 fathoms being hard muddy sand, with loose rocks. On the south 

 side very good results have been obtained, the coarse coral-sand 

 which seems to extend all along the south side of the island, 

 from 15 to 10 fathoms, being particularly rich in many forms, 

 as is also the muddy sand. Stones and living coral are found close 

 in, in 5 to 10 fathoms. 



Hindarabi and Shaikh Shuaib Islands. — The former in shape 

 and formation vexy like Grais, only much smaller, being only 4 miles 

 east and west and 2 north and south. The latter is consider- 

 ably larger than either Grais or Hindarabi, being about 13 miles 

 east and west and 2^ north and south, though otherwise much 

 the same. Dredging has been done round both these islands, and 

 the bottom found to be similar to that round Gais, the same species 

 being common to all these. 



The inhabitants of both Gais and Shaikh Shuaib send a good 

 many boats to the pearl-iishery on the Arabian side of the Gulf. 

 Pearl-diving is also done somewhere close to the island, but the 

 exact spot where the pearl-oysters are to be found appears to be 

 kept secret by the inhabitants. It seems to have been a custom 

 formerly to land quantities of oysters near the villages, when the 

 women opened and examined them for pearls. About 12 years 

 ago I saw them doing this near the village of Laz, on Shaikh 

 Shuaib Island ; and two years later landed and examined the heaps 

 of empty shells and refuse, amongst which were great numbers of 

 Cyprwa lentiginosa^ C. turdus, and C. fimbriata. I have visited the 

 same place on several occasions since, but there did not appear to 

 be any fresh heaps of shells. At Gais Island no opportunity has yet 

 offered of landing to examine the shell-heaps, which are known to 

 be there, as when steaming close past the south side of the island 

 a couple of years ago, with a telescope the women were clearly 

 to be seen at work, opening oysters. 



Bushire. — The bottom at the anchorage here is soft mud, a little 

 of which has at different times been sifted and found to contain 

 many minute species of shells, most, if not all, of which have been 

 found at other places in similar kind of mud. 



Rishire (or Beshire). — This is the place where the Government 

 cables land, and is situated about 8 miles south of the Bushire 

 anchorage ; the bottom is the same as at that place, similar species 

 being obtained from it. 



Government Gables. — The single cable between Rishire and Fao is 

 mostly laid in 30 to 20 fathoms, on a soft black-mud bottom, and 

 when picked up for repairs in more tlian 10 fathoms of water it is 

 invariably found to be thickly coated with shell and weed growth ; 

 immense quantities of oysters are found on any part that has been 



