298 The Commercial Products of the Sea. 



Islands the same style of ornamentation prevails ; but there 

 they use the pearly coating of the chambered nautilus, and 

 the nacre of the pearl oyster. Even the wandering savage 

 of the north-east coast of Australia delights in beautifying 

 himself with a spoon-shaped ornament filed from the 

 pearly nautilus. One of the most beautiful substances in 

 nature is the shell-opal, formed of the remains of the 

 ammonite. 



In Caldera, Chili, a kind of scallop shell, very finely 

 marked with a delicate pink, is frequently used by the 

 refined portion of the population, as a little dish to hold 

 soap on the toilet-table. 



Scallop shells (Pecten) were formerly worn by pilgrims, 

 on their hat or the cape of their coat, as a mark of their 

 having crossed the sea for the purpose of paying their 

 devotions at the holy shrine in Palestine ; in commemora- 

 tion of which they are still preserved in the armorial 

 bearings of many families of distinction, whose ancestors 

 had performed that ceremony. From its use by cooks 

 now, this shell has given the name to " scalloped " oysters. 

 In early times, when plates and drinking-vessels were not 

 so plentiful as they are now, the concave or hollow valve of 

 the scallop served as a cup, and the flat valve for a plate. 

 The idea has even been carried out by our pottery manu- 

 facturers, and plates and dishes have been moulded after 

 the forms of bivalve shells. Reticules, needle-books, pin- 

 cushions, and other articles are made by shell dealers with 

 the scallop shell. 



The Mytilus, or mussel shell, has a few applications. 

 When polished, they are made into pretty needle-books 

 and scent-bottle holders, earrings, crosses, pins, and pin- 

 cushions. They are mounted on marble as paper weights, 

 and are used as a receptacle for gold and silver paint for 



