gems, pearl, Ceylon, Sri Lanka, Gulf of Manaar

Kelaart presents an early scientific investigation of the pearl oyster and pearl fisheries of Ceylon (Sri Lanka), based on observations undertaken for the colonial government. He describes the natural history of the pearl oyster, its anatomy, growth, habitat, distribution, and the environmental conditions of the pearl banks, while considering factors responsible for the periodic abundance and disappearance of oyster populations. Particular attention is given to the formation and occurrence of pearls within the animal and to questions relevant to management of the economically important Gulf of Mannar fisheries. The report represents an important mid-nineteenth-century attempt to place the Ceylon pearl industry on a zoological and observational foundation and was followed by Kelaart’s further investigations of the pearl banks and their marine fauna.