104 JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. II. . PART I. 



first thing you ought to observe when you get into a new locality 

 is to go along the sands at high water mark : you will then find 

 many good shells thrown up by the sea, particularly light bivalve 

 shells ; you can take any time of the tide to do it. Never miss 

 going after a gale of wind, you may then get many rare and valu- 

 able deep water shells which can never be procured otherwise. 

 In sheltered bays and places, just at the very lowest water mark, 

 you will find in the mud and sand many species of bivalve shells 

 just beneath the surface, and generally in great abundance. Do 

 not neglect to collect all and every species, and that in abundance. 



How to use a Dredge. 



Dredging is performed in two ways. First, in a large sailing 

 boat, under easy sail. Make fast your dredge to a rope of 100 

 fathoms long and three inches thick, and let the other end be made 

 fast to the mainmast or any other secure place for fear of accident. 

 Having arrived at the spot where you intend to dredge, bring the 

 boat or vessel up on the wind, then throw your dredge overboard, 

 and in the space of a minute or two the dredge will be at the 

 bottom ; then pay awsy the rope and make easy sail ; let it always 

 be thrown out astern of the boat or vessel. After being under 

 weigh a quarter of an hour, haul in the dredge, and examine the 

 contents. You must carry with you when you go dredging a 

 fine sieve, a hand bucket, and a large cocoanut shell. Having 

 got the dredge on board, take out the contents : if mud and sand 

 with the cocoanut shell, and fill the sieve a third full with it, then let 

 one of your people take it in his hand and hold it over the side of 

 the vessel, then let another man pour water from the bucket upon 

 the sieve gently, the man holding the seive gently shaking it, by 

 which means you will get rid of all the fine sand and mud, 

 leaving nothing but the shells and the larger debris of the sea. 

 Examine well broken shells and stones that you find in the dredge, 

 for on them you will find many genera of shells, such as chitons, 

 calyptrea, crepidula areas, and various others ; and so continue, — ■ 

 all the contents of the dredge is emptied in the same manner. 

 Go always well provided with things to put the shells in that 



