PROCEEDINGS OF TUK MALACOLOGICAL SOCIETY. (51 



Further, the thanks of the Society are specially due to the Council 

 of the Lianean Society, through whose kindness it has been permitted, 

 as in previous years, to hold its meetings in Burlington House." 



On the motion of the Eev. R,. Ashington Bullen, seconded hj 

 Mr. A. S. Keunard, the above was adopted as the Annual Report of 

 the Society. 



The following were elected as Officers and Council for the year 1906 : 

 President.— E. 11. Sykes, B.A., F.L.8. 



Vice-Presidents.— ^iv C. N. E. Eliot. K.C.M.G. ; Professor W. A. 

 Herdman, F R.S. ; W. G. Ridewood, B.Sc, F.L.S. ; B. B. 

 Woodward, F.L.S. 

 Tremurer.—:i. H. Ponsonby, F.Z.S. 

 Secretary.— II. H. Burne, B.A., F.Z.S. 

 Editor.— 'E. A. Smith, I.S.O. 



ISix other Members of Council. — Rev. R. Ashington Bullen. F.L.S. ; 



S. I. Da Costa ; J. Cosmo MelviU, M.A., F.L.S. ; R. Bullen 



Newton, E.G. S.; Alexander Reynell ; H. Woodward, LL.D., 



F.R.S. 



On the motion of Mr. E. A. Smith, I.S.O., seconded by Mr. R. Bullen 



Newton, a vote of thanks was passed to the Retiring Officer and 



Members of Council, and to the Auditors and Scrutineers. 



ORDINARY MEETING. 



Friday, 9th: February, 1906. 



E. B. WooDWARn, F.L.S., Vice-rresident, in the Chair. 



Mr. T. H. Haynes gave a short account (illustrated by lantern slides 



and specimens) of Pearl Oyster Culture and Pearl Fishing. 



After a brief review of the chief pearl fisheries of the Indian Ocean 



and Malay Archipelago, Mr. Haynes recounted his own experiences 

 r in the culture of mother-of-pearl shells in the Montebello Islands, off 

 f the north-west coast of Australia, and referred to some of the many 

 I difficulties that had to be met— want of water, difficulties of transport, 



hurricanes, and the ravages of '■ XGYmin'' [Octopiis, Crabs, Cerithitim, 

 \ etc.). Operations were started with a small enclosure of loose stones, 



just above low-water line, in which mother-of-pearl shells were placed 

 ;' with the idea of stocking the surrounding shallows. Subse(piently 



a small lagoon, dry at half-tide, was closed by a dam and cleai'ed of 



vermin. In this young and old mother-of-peurl shells were placed 

 - and flourished, but the young proved to be 'false spat,' and did not 



develop into tiue mother-of-pearl shells. The experiments neverthe- 

 'J less showed satisfactorily that by thus planting out shells in secluded 

 ,1 and favourable positions, increase<l growth can be ensured. 



Mr. F. Homes exhibited a series of pearl shells in which were 

 f remarkable blister pearls, some being of very great size, and in some 

 , cases formed within the area of the adductor muscle. 



