HALIOTIS. 281 



were first formed become disused, and are filled up by 

 successive layers of shell ; the last or outermost pallial 

 fold forms and occupies a notch or semicircular slit in 

 front, which is subsequently converted into an eyelet- 

 hole. Very young specimens are imperforate, and in that 

 state resemble the shells of Stomatia and alKed genera, 

 which are placed by Messrs. Adams in the Trochus 

 family. One in Mrs. Collings^s collection has no ori- 

 fice, although it is about an inch and a quarter in 

 length j this, however, is an exception as regards size. 

 Such young shells are finely striated in a longitudinal 

 or spiral direction, and are adorned with two narrow 

 rows of blue spots; in a more advanced stage they 

 are spii*ally ridged and delicately cancellated. The 

 Cherbourg fishwomen call it "si ieu"*^ (six yeux)^ 

 from an idea that the orifices in the shell are real eyelets 

 or peepholes. The importation of Meleagrince, or true 

 mother-of-pearl shells, from the South seas, has inter- 

 fered with the sale of the " ormer '' (or Haliotis) at 

 Guernsey for button-making and inlaying^, although_, 

 as Dr. Lukis informed me in 1859, one merchant at 

 St. Peter's purchased every season from four to nine 

 tons. At sorting-time every shell was separately ex- 

 amined ; the best lots fetched on the spot seven shillings 

 and sixpence per cwt. I found that in some parts of 

 Guernsey the ormer was put to rather a novel use, viz. 

 to frighten away small birds from the standing corn. 

 Three or four shells are strung loosely together, and 

 suspended from the top of a pole, so as to make a 

 clatter Avhen moved by the wind and knocking one 

 against another. In Montagu's time they ornamented 

 cottages there, the plaster on the outside being studded 

 with them. 



It is the Auris vulgaris of Klein and Da Costa. 



