20 



Britain by the reports of pearls found there, and Pliny 

 states that he covered a buckler with them, which he 

 dedicated to Yenus Genetrix. 



Forbes and Hanley think that " Caesar's buckler 

 was more probably covered with the pearls from 

 Mytilus edulis " (the common sea mussel). This, how- 

 ever, is not Mkely, as the pearls from this shell are 

 exceedingly few and poor. Tacitus writes that they 

 were of marine origin. 



Pennant states that as many as sixteen pearls have 

 been found in a single Unio, and he gives an account 

 of pearls of value having been found in Donegal and 

 in the Conway. 



The ancient writers agree in disparaging the British 

 pearls, justly considering those from the East finer in 

 size and quality. 



Tacitus mentions a theory current in his time that 

 the dull reddish colour of our pearls was due to their 

 being collected from cast-up shells instead of being 

 gathered from living shells from the bottom of the sea; 

 but he adds, with characteristic dry humour, that the 

 fault probably lay in the pearls themselves, as other- 

 wise his avaricious countrymen would have been sure 

 to discover the best method of obtaining them. 



Var. I. sinuata. Broader than the type, yellowish ; 

 lower margin incurved. 



