THE ISLAND OF JERSEY, 255 



saakes and lizards, but it is believed that there are 

 iio venomous reptiles in the island. 



The fish in these seas are plentiful and some of 

 excellent quality : — ray, plaice, turbot, soles, and 

 mullets, and especially congers, which have been 

 known frequently to weigh from forty to fifty pounds. 

 The ormer is peculiar to those islands — a fish shaped 

 like a man's ear, and contained in a single oval shell, 

 the inside of which resembles mother-of-pearl, and 

 is frequently manufactured as such. It is cut from 

 the rocks at low water, in great spring tides, and when 

 taken from the shell is beaten to make it tender. 

 To this list, the historian (Falle) with the innocent 

 credulity of his day adds, ^' the sirene or mermaid, 

 so called because it is said to have the breasts and 

 teats of a woman, but this is not common as the 

 others.'* There are also plenty of oysters, lobsters, 

 and crabs These fish are common to Guernsey as 

 well as Jersey. Fish is much more abundant and 

 cheaper in Guernsey than in Jersey, the Jersey 

 market owes much, if not most of its supplies to 

 our neighbours, who therefore find it advantageous 

 to come over here. 



The only mineral of importance is the sienitic 

 granite, of which the cliffs are composed ; it is quar- 

 ried to a considerable extent at Mont Mado, and 

 exported to England, where it is applied to the pur- 



f loses of paving, for which it is found well adapted, 

 n Jersey it is frequently used for ornamenting the 

 houses of the wealthy, or in building. It is of a 

 reddish white colour, and capable of being polished 

 in some degree like marble. Ochre is found, and 

 also tripoli, and there are several chalybeates and 

 ferruginous springs. 



The trade of Jersey has been progressing year 

 after year, and is at present in a much more flourish- 

 ing state than it ever was. In 1734, according to 

 Falle, the population of Jersey amounted to 20,000 

 souls. By a census taken in 1806, it appears that 

 the population had only increased to 22,855, but by 



