196 - THE NATURALIST IN AUSTRALIA. 



name of Meleagrina, margaritifera. This variety is obtained chiefly on account of 

 the valuable nature of its shell, its substance representing the finest texture of 

 Mother-of-Pearl, out of which knife handles, the largest descriptions of pearl buttons, 

 and all other pearl articles of the best quality are manufactured. Although pearls 

 of the most valuable description are also obtained from this shell, their acquisition 

 is held to be of practically secondary import, while, through the inability of the 

 boat-owners, in the majority of instances, to exert a strict control over the opening and 

 cleaning of the shells, it is admitted that a very large percentage of the pearls obtained 

 are surreptitiously disposed of. Notwithstanding this undesirable filtration, it has been 

 estimated that the value of the pearls obtained ranges from about one-tenth to one- 

 sixth of that of the ' shells, and as this in Queensland alone commonly averages 

 100,000, the item of pearls is by no means insignificant. 



In Western Australia the large tropical Mother-of-Pearl shell is more or less 

 abundant throughout the coast-line northwards of Exmouth Gulf. The main portion 

 of the pearling operations is, however, carried out between there and King's Sound. 

 North and east of this, as far as Cambridge Gulf, large areas of shell-producing 

 grounds exist, but owing to the as yet unsettled condition of the adjacent mainland 

 and the hostility of the natives towards boats' crews landing for wood and water, 

 this section of the coast-line has so far remained almost undeveloped. Judging 

 from the much indented reef and island-bestrewn character of this coast-line, and 

 the observations made and impressions formed by several voyages between King's 

 Sound and Cambridge Gulf, the writer is of the opinion that this section of the 

 coast will in future years prove to be the most prolific of the Western Australian 

 Pearl - shelling grounds. With it will probably be also associated B6che-de-Mer 

 fisheries, approximating in character and value to those of Torres Straits and the 

 Great Barrier. 



At the present time the fishery for Bgche-de-Mer on the Western Australian 

 sea-board is scarcely worthy of notice, being limited to the takings of a few isolated 

 fishermen, chiefly Chinamen, who ply their avocation in the neighbourhoods of King's 

 Sound and Dampier's Archipelago. With the latter exception there are very few 

 favourable reefs south of King's Sound of sufficient extent to yield a profitable fishery, 

 while, as ascertained by the writer, the qualities produced are inferior to the Queens- 

 land types. As chronicled, however, in the preceding Chapter, the majority of the 

 most esteemed Torres Straits and Great Barrier Keef species were discovered by the 

 writer in Houtman's Abrolhos Islands, and though these do not appear to occur on 



