/ 





MOLLLSOA. 



A Fleet of Oyster Boats. 



The Pearl Oyster is the mollusc, from which pearls are extracted. The pearl is nothin- else tl«au th<- 



hacre which hnes the inner surface of the shell, deposited in globular drops. This shel &fi kljfc 



mmed "mother of pearl/' These oysters are found in both the Old and New World Ceylon fsesS 



ally famous for its pearl fishenes. The fishers a,c tramed to remain long underwater, and SlesceEg 



^^ i to f he bottom tie a heavy weight to their feet. They 



j|| rapidly gather into a basket all the oysters near by. anil 



JH when needing air, give a signal to their friends, who draw 



/ \ them to the surface by a rope. The oysters are then 



left, for some weeks, to putrefy, when they are washed, 

 and the pearls extracted. The Chinese have a mode of 

 forcing oysters and mussels to form pearls by pkcing 

 beads in their shells, round which a layer of mr*e is 

 deposited, and a pearl produced. 



mm 



Cuttle Fish. 

 32* 



Pearl Oyster 



iJ 



