CHAPTER XXXVIII. 



THE PEARL OYSTER. 



" What hid'st thou in thy treasure-caves and cells, 

 Thou hollow-sounding and mysterious Marti ? 

 Pale glistening Pearls, and rainbow-coloured shells, 

 Bright things that gleam unrecked of and in vain." 



Hemans. 



DIMYARIA. 



FAMILY MELEAGRINID^E (PEARL OYSTERS, &c.) 



MELEAGRINA, LAMARCK PINTADINES (MELEAGRIN^E) AVICULA 

 (LES ARONDES) CUVIER THE BROAD-WINGED AVICULA (AVI- 

 CULA MACROPTERA) THE PEARL OYSTER (MELEAGRINA 

 MARGARITIFERA) MYTILUS MARGARITIFERUS, LINNAEUS 

 AVICULA MARGARITIFERA, SOWERBY THE ETHERIA OF 

 LAMARCK THE CHAMIDJE THE ETHERIA SEMILUNATA 

 HOW PEARL IS FORMED : ITS CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, WHERE 

 AND HOW OBTAINED AND PREPARED HOW FORMED BY ARTI- 

 FICIAL PERFORATIONS NOTED FISHERIES FISHING SEASON 

 PRICE OF PEARLS MOTHER OF PEARL THE PEARL-BEARING 

 MYA HOW ARTIFICIAL PEARLS ARE MADE "BREEDING 

 PEARLS" THE AMERICAN PEARL. 



UNDER the comprehensive genus Avicula, Cuvier includes 

 two sections : one, the Pearl-Ovsters, Meleagrina, Lam. 



