28 PEOCBBDIISIGS OF THE 



and am happy that Sweden appears satisfied with what I have 

 done for the iionour of Linnaeus and for the science to which I 

 have devoted myself, in humble imitation of that great man. 



" I believe I am possessed of manuscripts of his own explaining 

 the secret of producing pearls. I have also in his own cabinet of 

 shells specimens of pearls so produced, and of the muscle-shells, 

 in various states upon whicli experiments have been made. I 

 have no intention of carrying on the scheme — still less of paying 

 c£500 for any further information, nor, in short, of entering at all 

 on the subject, for which I have no leisure. 



" I return you my best thanks for the trouble you have already 

 taken, but beg you will take no more on my account. 



" I am, Sir, 



" Your very obedient servant, 



J. E. Smith." 



Linnaeus wrote, on Peb. 6th, 1761, "I have heard of people 

 existing who pretended to make gold, but never of anyone who 

 could produce pearls," — and again, " I have with infinite care taken 

 pains to explore the cause of pearls being generated and how 

 nature proceeds to accomplish it." 



In thinking that no one else before that time had produced 

 pearls Linnaeus was apparently wrong, as we find that in his own 

 country a decade earlier, between 1751 and 1754, a certain Inspector 

 Frederic Hedenberg was paid a salary to inoculate the pearl 

 mussels of Lulea in Lappmark with " pearl-seeds," which he manu- 

 factured, and then re-plant the mussels. Certain pearls were 

 produced by the Inspector which it is recorded were sold for some 

 300 silver dollars. 



Linnaeus's first experiments with pearls date back, however, to a 

 still earlier period, for in the 2nd vol. of Linnaeus's Correspondence, 

 published by Sir J. E. Smith (p. 428), there is a letter from 

 Linnaeus to Haller, dated Upsala, 13th Sept. 1748, saying: "At 

 length I ha\'e ascertained the manner in which pearls originate 

 and grow in shells ; and 1 am able to produce in any mother-of- 

 pearl shell that can be held in the band, in the course of 5 or 

 6 years, a pearl as large as the seed of a common vetch.'' 



To this the Editor appends the remarks : — 



" ' Eor this discovery the illustrious author was splendidly re- 

 warded by the States of the Kingdom.' — Haller." 



" Specimens of pearls so produced by art in the Mya margariti- 

 fera are in the Linnsean Cabinet. The shell appears to have been 

 pierced by flexible wires, the ends of which perhaps remain 

 therein." 



J. P. Bagge says in regard to the above remark by Sir J. Smith — 

 " This is the nearest I have seen anyone come to truth, but still 

 it will be remarked by reading the Seci'et that more information is 

 required to enable persons to practise the art." 



Herr Bagge, in a MS. entitled "Statement," tells how his 

 grandfather, being otherw-ise occupied, made no use of the 



