Mother-of- Pearl and its Uses. 399 



to the cartilage of the human ear. The species of the 

 warmer latitudes furnish the most brilliant shades of colour. 

 Haliotis iris, of New Zealand, is green, highly iridescent. 

 H. Mida, a Cape of Good Hope species, when deprived of 

 its yellowish-brown epidermis, is found more or less tinged 

 with orange and other colours. Some handsome species 

 brought from Japan and other localities are H. rufescens, 

 H. splendcns, and H. Cracherodii. The green ear-shell is 

 much used for fancy buttons, studs, sleeve-links, buckles, 

 and earrings. 



The people of Guernsey and Jersey ornament their 

 houses with the shells of the ormer, disposing them fre- 

 quently in quincunx order, and placing them so that their 

 .bright interior may catch the rays of the sun. Some of 

 the large and splendid intertropical species, which, after 

 removing the outer layer, take a polish almost equalling 

 the natural brilliancy of the interior, might be converted 

 into dishes for holding fruit ; if mounted with good taste, 

 their indescribable iridescence and prismatic colours would 

 materially add to the richness of an elegant table. The 

 ear-shells consist of numerous plates resembling tortoise- 

 shell, alternating with thin layers of nacre, exhibiting, 

 when magnified, a series of irregular folds. 



Under the name of Abalones the animal is dried for 

 export by the Chinese in California, and by the Japanese. 

 The pearly shell is used in inlaying, for jewellery, and, 

 when polished, as mantel ornaments. Coarsely pulverized, 

 it is used for decorating letters in ornamental sign-painting. 



Another shell much used for its opal tints, its glistening 

 colours of light and dark green, soft yellow, and bright and 

 beautiful pink blended together, is the Turbo olearius or 

 marmoratus, which passes in commerce under the name of 

 the " green snail." These shells used to form the royal 



