BOOK IX. LV. III-LVI. 114 



say that clusters of shells hke bees have one of their 

 iiuniber, a speciall)^ large ancl old shell, as their 

 leader, one marvellously skilful in taking precau- 

 tions ; and that these leader-shells are dihgently 

 sought for by pearl-divers, as wlien tliey are caught 

 all the rest stray about and easily get shut up in the 

 nets, subsequently a quantity of salt being poured 

 over them in earthenware jars; this eats away all 

 the flesh, and a sort of kernels in their bodies, which 

 are pearls, fall to the bottom. 



LVI. There is no doubt that peai-ls are worn away Vaneties in 

 by use, and that lack of cai'e makes them change fa",^/' ''"' 

 their colour. Their whole value Hes in their bril- 

 hance, size, roundness, smoothness and weight, 

 quahties of such rarity that no two pearls are found 

 that are exactly ahke : this is doubtless the reason 

 Avhy Roman luxury has given them the name of 

 'unique gems,'the word tmio not existing in Greece, 

 and indeed among foreign races, who discovered this 

 fact, the only name for them is margarita. There is 

 also a great variety in their actual brilhance ; it is 

 brighter with those found in the lled Sea," whereas 

 those found in the Indian Ocean i-esemble flakes of 

 mica, though they excel others in size. The highest 

 praise given to thcir colour is for them to be called 

 ahim-coloured. The longer ones also have a charm 

 of their own. Those that end in a wider circle, 

 tapering lengthwise in the shape of perfume-caskets, 

 are termed ' probes.' Women glory in hanging these 

 on their fingers and using two or three for a single- 

 earring, and foreign names for this luxury occur, 

 names invented by abandoned extravagance, inas- 

 much as when they have done this they call them 

 ' castanets,' as if they enjoyed even the sound and 



239 



