and scarcer and scarcer, what was always sold at 8d and la a 

 dozen, rose to 4s and Ss a dozen. 



Our Oysters beds were getting quite exhausted. We are 

 weekly importing from New York and other parts of Ame- 

 rica immense quantities of Oysters. Now it strikes me that 

 if we can so easily do that for mere gratification to our animal 

 appetites, and of course they arrive fresh or they could not be 

 taken as food ; what is to hinder the transport of the various 

 Bivalves where Pearls are found, chiefly the Avicula Margari- 

 tifera to the shores of Mauritius. They would find themselves 

 equally at home, as far as food and climate are concerned, 

 which really are two things needful as much as at Ceylon or 

 in the Persian Gulf They have last year found some fine 

 Pearls in some of the Scotish rivers in a species of Museel 

 (Unio Margaritifera). I do not think it would be a bad spe- 

 culation to try to introduce this culture of Pearl-yieldiug 

 Bivalves to your shores. Tou might get some Pearl ' Nuggets' 

 from time to time. The Pearl fishery begins in March, though 

 Mr. Markhum, in his able report, says the revenue is uncer- 

 tain, yet is worth fostering. In 1859, the Q-overnment realized 

 £48,216 — one of its best years. The declared value of Pearls 

 imported into the United Kingdom in 1868 was £36,079. At 

 Morton Bay Pearls worth £5 to £10 frequently are found • 

 I remember Queensland at the Paris Exhibition exhibited a 

 dozen very fine Pearls, and by the last Australian mail, advices 

 were received that the Pearl Fisheries at Western Australia 

 were progressing very favorably. Some of those sent to Mel- 

 bourne were said to be very fine in shape and colour, and 

 would fetch in the London market £25, £8 and £14 each. 

 Dr. Mc Gowan communicated to the Society of Arts, through 

 Dr. Bowring, a full account of how the ingenious Chinese form 

 the Artificial Pearls, and looking at the example of these sa- 

 gacious people and from the investigations and experiment of 

 Dr. E. F. Kelaart, who was a scientific man engaged by the 

 Ceylon Government, there seems little doubt that means cau 

 be easily discovered (so says Professor Simmonds) of trans- 

 porting these Molluscs to favorable localities, of feeding and cul- 

 tivating them there, and of compelling them to yield their 

 glittering treasures in the form aud quantity the owners 



