The Ear Shells. Abalones 



and the abalone's strong foot. This is very unlikely to happen. 

 The Chinese fisherman goes out in a boat at low tide, and inspects 

 the crevices in the rocks to find these moUusks. Sighting one, 

 he gives it a sharp shove with a metal wedge fastened on the 

 end of a pole. Dislodged by this unexpected attack, the creature 

 is easily taken in with a boat hook. 



In his native haunts the abalone clings with a death grip, 

 if only he has warning. It is impossible to tear him from his 

 place. When undisturbed the creature lumbers along with a 

 clumsy, swinging gait, not unlike that of an elephant. He makes 

 the best time on the surfaces of smooth rocks. 



Fine green pearls are sometimes found in the mantle. An 

 ingenious experimenter trepanned the shell of several large aba- 

 lones, and inserted small pearl beads next to the mantle. Then 

 he closed the holes with cement. Later he found all the beads 

 coated, and thus transformed into pearls; some were of fine 

 quality. Of course the longer they are allowed to remain the 

 better they become. 



Quantities of shells are exported to Paris and other European 

 centres for use in inlaying in cabinet work, and for ornaments 

 and buttons, and a multitude of small articles, like knife handles, 

 fans, card-cases and pieces of jewellery. 



The Splendid Ear Shell, or Abalone {H. julgens, Phil.) 

 is found on the coasts of Southern and Lower California. H. 

 splendens, Rve., is a synonym. It is a thin elongated oval shell, 

 7 to 8 inches long, with a pearly lining that is indeed splendid 

 as a peacock's tail, especially the roughened central patch, the 

 muscle scar. The outer surface is uniformly dull brownish in 

 colour, and faintly ridged with spirally radiating undulations, 

 crossed by smaller and close-set rounded ridges. Each hole is 

 elevated into a tubercle. From five to seven remain open. The 

 closed tubercles are worn, as is also the depressed spire. The left 

 side bears a flat pearly shelf, the cohimellar plate. 



These shells when cleaned by acids and scraping, are as 

 beautifully pearly outside as within. They are favourite mantel 

 and cabinet ornaments, the most brilliant object the curio-dealer 

 shows to the eager souvenir hunter on the west coast. 



The Red Abalone {H. rufescens, Swains.) is larger and much 

 heavier than H. julgens. It is the chief commercial mother-of- 

 pearl shell of the California coast. It often attains a length of nine 



224 



