PEARL AND PEARL SHELL-FLSHERIES. 209 



demand brief explanation. Tiie descriptions of shell placed first on the list, by way of 

 example, under the heading of "Sydney and Queensland," represent Queensland shell 

 exclusively. The name of Sydney, associated with it, indicates that after collection in Torres 

 Strait it has been finally shipped from Sydney. It represents, as a matter of fact, the produce 

 of the shelling stations belonging to Sydney capitalists established in the vicinity of Thursday 

 Island, previously referred to. The shell denominated " Bombay " in this category, repre- 

 sents the ordinary black species, Aviculn furcata (fished on account more exclusively of 

 its pearls, on the coasts of India and Ceylon). It rarely exceeds four inches in diameter. 

 The variety defined as "Linga" on a lower line in this list is not more than two inches 

 in diameter, and represents the young of the "Bombay" shell. The "Shark's Bay" shell, 

 derived from the bay of that name in the most southern pearl-shell-producing district of 

 Western Australia, is a stunted variety of both the largest white species and a small yellow- 

 shelled one, identical in both instances with shells that are indigenous to Moreton Bay. 



The leading position occupied by the Queensland shell, with relation to that derived from 

 all other sources, is conspicuously evident in the accompanying report. As there shown, the 

 best quality, "fine white, selected bold," realised no less than £\ \ 12s. 6d. per cwt. or ^^232 los. 

 per ton, against ^10 17s. 6d. or £21"] 17s. per ton obtained for the best-quality white 

 West Australian and black-edged Tahitan varieties. The comparison of the figures above 

 quoted with those cited in relation to the first sale price realised at Thursday Island, and 

 the cost of labour in the collection of the raw material, furnish the data for an approximate 

 estimate of the possible profit which the successful conduct of pearl-shelling operations might 

 yield. 



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