SHELL AND PEARL FISHLXG OX THE MISSISSIPPI 21 



board for the search for pearls. There are so-called "pearlers" who do not 

 steam the clams but open them with a knife, but these are few. Admitted 

 that in "cooking out" pearls occasionally drop to the hot bottom of the pan 

 and are burned and that some experts believe that the steaming injures 

 the lustre of the pearl, the former rarely happens in reality as the finest 

 round pearls are apt to be imbedded in the flesh of the body of the mol- 

 lusk, and as regards the latter, the verdict is by no means unanimous. 

 Both fishermen and shell buyers agree also that the shells — whicii have a 

 market value fully ecjual to the pearl find — are cleaner and better when 

 "cooked out" than when "soured out" or when cleaned with a knife. 



The work of going over the meats by hand for pearls is often done l)y the 

 women of the family while the fisherman is making his next day's catch. 

 Locally the name of" pearl " is reserved for the pieces which have a complete 

 skin and are symmetrical, those spherical being called round pearls, those 

 flattened button pearls — "balloon," "pear-shaped" or "drop" as the case 

 may be. The white pieces are now especially in demand for ladies' ear 

 studs, and thus when perfect and of fine lustre are of considerable market 

 value. Other forms though typical and not attached to the shell, are called 

 "slugs." There are almost limitless varieties of these in size, shape, color 

 and lustre, and they have many names such as "nuggets," "points," 

 "wings," and "angel wings." The ordinary slugs are usually sold to local 

 or traveling pearl buyers, bringing from two dollars anfl a half to forty 

 dollars an ounce. 



Thus the raw material is obtained. When several tons of the shells have 

 been accumulated, they are sold, usually to a representative of the nearest 

 button-cutting factory. Good shells during the past summer were bringing 

 about twenty-three dollars a ton. It is considered that the shells give the 

 necessary wage, the pearls furnish the fascination and give the profit — if 

 there is any. This summer one pearl was found valued at nineteen hundred 

 dollars, while there are quite a number of fishermen in the vicinity who have 

 worked many years without finding one worth fifty and are still expecting 

 the perfect pearl. 



EXHIBITION OF THE NEW YORK AQUARIUM SOCIETY 



By Ba.shford Dean 

 Photographs by Dr. Fritz Bade 



THE New York Aquarium Society held its second annual exhil)ition 

 at the Museum during early December, its first annual meeting 

 having been held in the New York Aquarium. It was evident 

 that the exhibition appealed to people of many kinds, (juite beyond the 

 technical circle of aquarists — which is already large. Thus there were 



