502 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 









m OUTDOOR WORLD 



Fishing for Fresh-Water Pearls. 



BY MRS. SARA SAVAGE MULLER, BROOKLYN, 

 NEW YORK. 



Fishing for fresh-water pearls may be 

 made an interesting recreation. It is 

 mild exercise, it has the advantage of 

 keeping one ont of doors and the hours 



THE PLEASURE OF THE PURSUIT; AND THE 



PURSUED— THE PEARL AND THE SHELL. 



Rahway River, New Jersey. 



slip by unnoticed. The pearls are 

 found in mussels which abound in 

 many of the streams and lakes of our 

 country, and which live at the bottom 

 of the water, there forming what are 

 known as mussel beds. When the mus- 

 sels are hatched, being incapable of 

 taking care of themselves, they fasten 

 themselves to free-swimming fishes, 

 and remain attached for several 

 months. In time, they fall to the bot- 

 tom of the stream, and begin an inde- 

 pendent life. This to some extent ac- 

 counts for their wide distribution. 



Men who make a business of fresh- 

 water pearl-fishing, usually fish in deep 

 waters, using a drag for the purpose. 

 This consists of many four-pronged 

 hooks, fastened to a number of lines, 

 which are attached to an iron bar. This 

 is let down into the water and dragged 

 across the bottom of the stream. 



Pearl-fishing for sport, is quite 

 another thing. A canoe is useful for 

 the purpose, because it can float in 

 shallow water. It is easy to reach over 

 the side of the boat and gather the 

 mussels from the mud. Large mussel 

 beds are often found in water too shal- 

 low for a canoe, and then a pair of 

 rubber boots help in the quest, and add 

 to the sport, but until one has learned 

 to distinguish between favorable and 

 unfavorable beds, one's first experi- 

 ences are apt to be discouraging. 



It is useless to fish in beds which 

 contain large and perfect mussels ; but 

 in those in which the shells are stunted 

 or imperfectly formed, pearls are often 

 found. 



When visiting a new stream or lake, 



