106 Pearl Fishino. 



It has often been a mystery to me that Burns never mentions 

 the pearls of Doon, seeing' that he lived near vrherethey are found 

 (from Dalmelling-ton to the sea) ; possibly his ignorance of their 

 value might account for this. One old man to whom I spoke to 

 about them assured me that in his younger days they used to 

 " niffer them for bools,'' and the boys used to carry about a 

 quantity in their pockets, but never dreamed of selling them for 

 money. 



As to the time that it takes to form a pearl I am sorry 

 to say, notwithstanding much enquiry, I have no definite in- 

 formation. The Chinese are very skilful in using their fresh 

 water mussel for various purposes, one being to coat little 

 images with the pearly nacre; these are inserted inside the 

 shell. Half pearls are formed in a few years, and passed off 

 as real pearls, the basis being a small round piece of mother-of- 

 pearl. Another plan is to scrape a small piece off the shell, and in 

 its place a small piece of pearl the size of a shot is inserted. 

 Could this mussel not be acclimatised? As an object for the 

 aquarium it would be of much interest, and if we can take trout 

 to New Zealand, why cannot we bring this bivalve to Britain ? 

 But why not try the cultivation of the Scotch pearl in Scotch 

 rivers or burns ? A couple of miles of river could be cheaply 

 hired and cheaply stocked. Our landed gentry might grow their 

 family pearls just as easily as their family timber Art aiding 

 Nature might produce unheard of results. The matter has yet to 

 be studied, and there is no reason why, in this utilitarian age, these 

 bivalves should not be set to work to minister to human fancy as 

 much as the silkworm, and with no more pain. We know so little 

 about the matter that it is within the bounds of probability that 

 situation, food, and selection might produce at will gems of rare 

 value. What Frank Buckland tried might be tried with more suc- 

 cess. A hole might be bored in the shell, and pearls of no value 

 inserted. These might form the nucleus of larger pearls. I do 

 not see why colour in pearls should not be studied, the changes 

 from a dark beginning to a clear outer skin and vice versa. Are 

 they the result of food, or situation, or light ? In the fresh water 

 mussel the matter is in its veriest infancy, and with observation 

 Nature might be made to yield her secret. 



As to the food value of the oyster, I am afraid that any one 

 trying it will find it insi23id and tasteless, and to make it savoury a 



