MYTILIDvE. MUSSEL. 71 



the pearl-fishers had pursued their searches.* These 

 mussels are found in Lochs Earn, Tay, Rannoch, and 

 Lubnaig, and in the Don, the Leith, and in many of 

 the other Scotch streams; also in some of the Welsh 

 rivers, from whence I have received fine specimens ; in 

 Ireland, near Enniskillen, and in the river Bann, which 

 is noted for its fine pearls. 



Sir Robert Redding, in a letter dated Dublin, 

 October 13th, 1688, — as quoted by Dr. Boate in his 

 ' Natural History of Ireland/ — says " that there are 

 four rivers in the county of Tyrone abounding with 

 pearl-mussels, all emptying themselves into Lough 

 Foyle, whereon stands the town of Derry. There are 

 also other rivers in the county of Dunnagall, a river 

 near Dundalk, the Shure, running to Waterford .... 

 And no doubt there may be many more that I do not 

 know ; all these places are at the feet of very great 

 mountains. The manner of pearl-fishing is not extra- 

 ordinary, the poor people, in the warm months, before 

 harvest is ripe, whilst the rivers are low and clear, go 

 into the water, some with their toes, some with wooden 

 tongs, and some by putting a sharpened stick into the 

 opening of the shell, take them up ; and although by 

 common estimate not above one shell in a hundred 

 may have a pearl, and of those pearls not above one 

 in a hundred be tolerably clear, yet a vast number of 

 fair merchantable pearls, and too good for the apothe- 

 cary, are offered for sale by those people every 

 summer assize. Some gentlemen of the country make 

 good advantage thereof, and myself, whilst there, saw 

 one pearl bought for 50*., that weighed 36 carats, and 

 valued at £40." 



* * Naturalist's Circular,' No. 17, October, 1867. 



