442 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



in sterling silver, partly gilded and enameled, all on marble or lapis-lazuli bases, 

 with the exception of the first two, which had bases of sterling silver gilt. Some of 

 these were — 



A negro king, with white waistcoat formed of a monstrous oriental pearl of good 

 white color, 37 mm. x 29 mm, somewhat pointed on the upper part issuing from the 

 neck and ornamented with 3 rose diamonds ; the eoat is of blue and yellow enamel, orna- 

 mented with C more rose diamonds and en cabochon rubies. The lower part of the 

 negro's body and head are formed by one large baroque pearl, with the arms and legs 

 of variously colored enamel. 



A negress, with bust of one enormous pearl of 20 x 17 mm., narrowing toward 

 the waist, valued at £145. 



A dancing girl, the upper part of whose body is formed by a black pearl 25x10 

 mm. The figure stands on a slab of rose onyx resting on a base which is richly orna- 

 mented with gold, silver and enamel. 



Mercury, after Giovanni di Bologna. The body and upper parts of the legs of 

 this figure are formed of an oriental baroque pearl, 24x24 mm., going all around 

 the body. One foot stands on a rock, an oriental pearl 22x17 mm., and this again 

 rests on a jeweled stone pedestal. 



Don Quixote, Falstaff, a monk, and a hall porter, conceived in artistic mountings, 

 rivaling in delicate workmanship the prototypes of Dinglinger, and not inferior in 

 skilled technical execution. 



A goblet with boar's head; the latter, at the end of the horn-shaped goblet, 

 is an oriental pearl of extraordinary dimensions, being over 45 mm. in length and width. 



A paperweight; an amourette riding on a dolphin, formed of an oriental pearl 

 65 mm. in length and 45 mm. in width, pointed at its end. 



A sheet of w T ater formed by a very flat pearl 65 mm. in length and 50 mm. in 

 breadth. 



Other fanciful conceits, all unique in form, as brooches, dogs' heads, spiders, 

 beetles, pigs, ducks, pheasants, peacocks, etc., the special feature always an irregular 

 pearl. These mounted objects ranged in value from $135 to $1,700. 



The firm of Michel Piscione, in the Italian section, had a quantity of the small 

 shells of Trigonia pectinata mounted in brooches, as single valves or two single valves 

 together, generally with a fresh-water pearl set in them; and in the Japanese building- 

 was a collection of pearls from the abalone shell and various other shells and shell work. 



The great family of fossil shells known as the ammonites, and their allies, which 

 are very closely related to the modern pearly Nautilus, were, like the latter, highly 

 nacreous, and in many cases retain this feature very beautifully in their present fossil- 

 ized state. If the outer layers have been removed by partial decomposition, the pearly 

 layers are exposed as is done artificially by means of acids in "cleaning" Nautilus 

 shells for ornament. Some of the ammonites and baculites of the Cretaceous deposits 

 of Dakota and elsewhere are gorgeous and glowing in their nacreous coloring, in some 

 cases resembling masses of opal, and more rich than any other pearly material known. 

 Specimens of these are not uncommon in geological collections, and some fine examples 

 were shown in the South Dakota State building at the World's Fair. 



In this connection may be mentioned some remarkable specimens of lumachelle 

 (fire marble) from Bleiberg, Carinthia. One of the finest examples of this beautiful 

 marble was that in the National Museum collection in the Government building; one 

 of the finest-worked specimens was an eighteenth century snuff-box in the Tiffany 



