16 PEARLS [CH. 



value of these pearls is as material for scientific in- 

 vestigation. The " gems " are usually dark and dirty 

 in colour and possess little, if any, lustre. The common 

 edible oyster has also been found to contain pearls, 

 and stories are current of fortunate individuals who 

 have found them when on the point of devouring 

 this esteemed shellfish. It is probable that the part 

 of the story dealing with the value of the pearls 

 contains gross exaggerations ! 



Another interesting mollusc in which pearls have 

 been found, and which was at one time much more 

 valuable than at present, is Haliotis — the Ear Shell. 

 It is probably familiar, in appearance if not by name, 

 to all readers of this book. The shell occurs in large 

 numbers in the English Channel on the rocky shores 

 of the Channel Islands. The exterior is a very dull 

 dirty brown — rough and coarse in texture. A series 

 of holes perforate the shell near one side. The internal 

 surface is lined with most beautifully coloured nacre. 

 In fact the play of colours is probably equalled in no 

 other shell. 



This mollusc is called the "Ormer" in the Channel 

 Islands, and the "Abalone" in America. It will be 

 seen that the genus has a wide distribution and as 

 a matter of fact it has been fished on the coasts of 

 China, Japan, California, South Africa and New 

 Zealand. The shellfish is not a bivalve. There is 

 only one valve, and it covers the animal, which 



