LLANDUDNO PARISH. 173 



vera, close it up entirely ; and, compressing the 

 air within the cavern, are forced up through an 

 aperture in the middle of the roof in a magnifi- 

 cent column of foam, not less than a yard in dia^ 

 meter, and reaching the height of about thirty 

 feet. 



Among the rare marine productions may be 

 mentioned, the pearls of the river Conway ; the 

 only native pearl fishery in our island. The ani- 

 mal by which they are generated, is a muscle of 

 the usual dark blue colour. The pearls them- 

 selves are very small, of the species called seed 

 pearl, and are sold at from Is. 6d. to 3s. or 4s, 

 per ounce. The existence of these pearls seems 

 to have been known by Tacitus. In his life of 

 Agricola, he thus speaks of the productions of 

 Britain. " Gignit et oceanus margaritas sed sub- 

 fusca et liventia. Quida martem abesse legentibus 

 arbitrantur, nam in man Rubro viva et spirantia 

 a saxis avelli, in Britannia prout expulsa sint 

 colligi. Ego facilius crediderim naturam marga- 

 ritis deesse quam nobis avaritiam.'' 



The ornithological notices of this little rock 

 would require more skill and knowledge tlian I 

 possess to do them justice. Few spots, near our 

 island, south of the Shetlands and St. Kilda, can 

 boast an equal number and variety of the fea- 



