PEARL FISHERY AT CEYLON. 397 



rorjkolii, qftr. Malleus *, mytilus hirundo Linn. ~}~, fpori- 

 d'dus crocius, pholas puftllus, Linn. \, tmtra epifcopalts, 

 Linn., lepas Jlriata Pennanti, (vide Zoo!. Brit.), patella 

 tncarinaia, Linn., bulla perfect 'a macula] 'a §, harpa no- 

 bihs, porcellana J'alita, Rumph. j|, ftrombus fcorpio, and 

 other of inferior kinds. Amongft the zoophytes, many 

 valuable lpecies of fpongitz, corallirue, fatularne, &c. 

 a great variety of lea ltars, and other marine pro- 

 ductions, that cannot be preferred in fpirits, but 

 ihould be defcribed on the fpot. Thele, as well as 

 the defcription of the different animals inhabiting the 

 fhells, are the more worthy of our attention, and de- 

 ferve farther invefligation, as we are yet very deficient 

 in this branch of natural liiftory. 



During the fifhing feafon, the defert, barren place, 

 CouJa/clicv, offers to our view a fcene equallv novel 

 and aftonifhinir. A heterogeneous mixture of thou- 

 lands of people of different colours, countries, cafts, 

 and occupations, the number of tents and huts, 

 erected on the fea fhore, with their (hops or bazars 

 before each of them ; and the many boats returning 

 on fhore in the afternoon, generally richly laden ; all 

 together form a fpectaele entirely new to an European 

 eve. Each owner runs to his refpective boat as ibon 

 as it reaches the fhore, in hopes of finding it fraught 

 with imtnenfe treafure, which is often much greater in 

 imagination than in the fhell ; and though he is dif- 

 appointed one day, he relies with greater certainty on 

 the next, looking forward to the fortune promifed 

 him by his ftars, as he thinks it impofliblc for the 

 ailrological predictions of his Brahmen to err. 



* Hammer oyfterj thele were pretry large, but many broken 

 and fome covered by a calcarious emit. It is very probable that, 

 among thofe, there may be fome precious white ones. 



mufcle. + The \vool piercer. 



lailj (Grew, Muf.) || Salt-coury, Kl. 



B b 3 To 



