84 Account of the Pearl Fijliery in the Gulph'oJ Manar. 



to meet with a large pearl, he makes a fign to his accomplice, who inftantly conveys away 

 one of fniall value, purpofely, in fuch a manner as to attraiS notice. On this the infpec- 

 ter and the reft of the men take the pearl from him : he is then puniflied and turned out of 

 their company. In the mean time, while he is making a dreadful uproar, the real thief fe- 

 cures the valuable pearl, and afterwards the booty is fhared with him who fufFered for them 

 all. Befides tricks like thefe the boat owners and purchafers often lofe many of the beft pearls, 

 while the dony is returning from the bank ; for, as long as the animal is alive and un- 

 touched, the fhells are frequently open near an inch ; and if any of them contain a large 

 pearl, it is eafily difcovered and taken out by means of a fmall piece of ftiff grafs or bit of 

 ftick, without hurting the pearl fifli. In this praftice they are extremely expert. Some of 

 them were difcovered whilft I was there, and received their due punifliment. 



Gmelin aiks if the animal of the mytilus margarkifents Is an afcidia ? See Linn. Syft. 

 Nat. torn. I. p. vi. 3350. This induces me to believe that it has never yet been accurately 

 defcribed ; it does not referable the afcidia of Linnseus, and may, perhaps, form a new 

 genus. "It is faftened to the upper and lower fliells by two white flat pieces of mufcular 

 fubftance, which are called by Houttuin * ears, and extend about two inches from the thick 

 part of the body, growing gradually thinner. The extremity of each ear lies loofe, and is 

 furrounded by a double brown fringed line. Thefe lie almoft the third of an inch from the 

 outer part of the Ihell, and are continually moved by the animal. Nest to thefe, above 

 and below, are fituated two other double fringed moveable fubftances, like the branchiae of 

 a fi(h. Thefe ears and fringes are joined to a cylindrical piece of flefti; of the fize of a 

 man's thumb, which is harder and of a more mufcular nature than the reft of the body. It 

 lies about the centre of the fliells, and is firmly attached to the middle of each. This, In 

 fa£l, is that part of the pearl fifli which ferves to open and fliut the (hells. "Where this co- 

 lumn is faftened, we find on the flefli deep impreflions, and on the fhell various nodes of 

 round or oblong forms, like imperfeft pearls. Between this part, and the hinge (cardo)-, 

 lies the principal body of the animal, feparated from the reft, and fliaped like a bag. The 

 mouth is near the hinge of the fliell, enveloped in a veil, and has a double flap or lip on 

 each fide ; from thence we obferve the throat, (cefophagus) defcending like a thread to the 

 ftomach. Clofe to the mouth there is a carved brownilh tongue, half an inch In length, 

 with an obtufe point; on the concave fide of this defcends a furrow, which the animal 

 opens and (huts, and probably ufes to convey food to its mouth t. Near its middle are 



* Vide Houtt. Nat. Hift. Vol. I. p. xv. p. 381, feq. 



■\ The depth at which the pearl fi(h generally is to be found, hindered me from paying any attention to 

 the locomotive power, which I have not the leaft doubt it pofleffes, ufing for thispurpole its tongue. This 

 conjedlure is ftrengthened by the accurate obfervations made on mujcles by the celebrated Reaumur, in 

 which he found that this body ferves them as a leg or arm, to move from one place to another. Though 

 the divers are very ignorant with regard to the oeconomy of the pearl fi(h, this changing of habitation has 

 been long fmce obferved by tliem. They alledge, that it alters its abode when difturbed by an enemy or 

 in fearch of food. In the former cafe they fay it commonly defcends from the fummit of the bank to its 

 declivity, 



two 



