Tregear. — Inaugural Address. 609 



Dr. Arthur Willey has been for some years trying to obtain 

 the eggs of the pearly nautilus. These eggs have been for a 

 long time desiderata of naturalists because the structure of 

 the nautilus is remarkable, and, although that animal is allied 

 to the cuttle-fish, it has many and wonderful points of differ- 

 ence. To fully understand the arrangement of the structure 

 and the building of the chambered cell it is necessary to know 

 more of its younger stages while it is growing and developing 

 within the egg. Dr. Willey spent a year in New Britain, 

 where the nautilus is taken in baskets like lobster-traps at a 

 depth of 70 fathoms of water, but was unsuccessful in the 

 attempt to obtain the eggs. He then tried New Guinea, but 

 nearly lost his life through the upsetting of his vessel. He 

 passed through New Caledonia, which he found unsuitable for 

 his purpose ; but, on arriving at Lifu, in the Loyalty Islands, 

 found to his delight that the nautili can there be captured in 

 3 fathoms of water. He constructed a large submarine cage 

 in which he kept specimens of the nautili, and at last his pa- 

 tient endeavours have been rewarded. Some of the creatures 

 spawned in the cage, and the doctor has been able to collect 

 abundant samples of the egg. Each egg is as large as a 

 grape, and is deposited separately by the mother. 



The pearl-shell fisheries, in the lagoons and waters of the 

 islands of the Pacific, have been so ruthlessly exploited that 

 the trade is now being carried on under extreme difficulties. 

 Formerly the pearl-oysters were abundant on the surface of 

 the coral reefs exposed at low tide or in the shallow waters 

 near the shores. These supplies are exhausted, and it has 

 become necessary to employ diving apparatus, which in some 

 cases has to be used at a depth of 80 ft. Something may per- 

 haps be done by perfecting the methods and apparatus used in 

 diving, but far more success will probably attend the new idea 

 of restocking the old beds. Experiments are being carried on 

 both on the Western Australian and Queensland coasts to 

 ascertain if the oyster will grow and propagate with artificial 

 aid. A preliminary experiment made at Eoebuck Bay, on the 

 Western Australian coast, in a mangrove swamp covered by 

 several fathoms of water at high tide, has proved that the 

 oysters (placed for safety in wire-covered cages) commenced to 

 propagate within the first year, and young shells were found 

 attached to the parent shells. Succeeding experiments are 

 showing very favourable conditions, and it is probable that, if 

 attention is given to the restocking of the lagoons and shallow 

 reef-areas of the Pacific, investments could be made that 

 would realise immense fortunes for the promoters. Hundreds 

 of thousands of pounds' worth of shell have been taken in a 

 short time from the Paumotu and other island groups now 

 barren of such articles of export. Could the still waters within 

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