106 PEARL FISHING. 
It has often been a mystery to me that Burns never mentions 
the pearls of Doon, seeing that he lived near where they are found 
(from Dalmellington to the sea); possibly his ignorance of their 
value might account for this. One old man to whom I spoke to 
about them assured me that in his younger days they used to 
‘‘niffer them for bools,’ and the boys used to carry about a 
quantity in their pockets, but never dreamed of selling them for 
money. 
As to the time that it takes to form a pearl I am sorry 
to say, notwithstanding much enquiry, I have no definite in- 
formation. The Chinese are very skilful in using their fresh 
water mussel for various purposes, one being to coat little 
images with the pearly nacre; these are inserted inside the 
shell. Half pearls are formed in a few years, and passed off 
as real pearls, the basis being a small round piece of mother-of- 
pearl. Another plan is to scrape a small piece off the shell, and in 
its place a small piece of pearl the size of a shot is inserted. 
Could this mussel not be acclimatised? As an object for the 
aquarium it would be of much interest, and if we can take trout 
to New Zealand, why cannot we bring this bivalve to Britain? 
But why not try the cultivation of the Scotch pearl in Scotch 
rivers or burns? A couple of miles of river could be cheaply 
hired and cheaply stocked. Our landed gentry might grow their 
family pearls just as easily as their family timber Art aiding 
Nature might produce unheard of results. The matter has yet to 
be studied, and there is no reason why, in this utilitarian age, these 
bivalves should not be set to work to minister to human fancy as 
much as the silkworm, and with no more pain. We know so little 
about the matter that it is within the bounds of probability that 
situation, food, and selection might produce at will gems of rare 
value. What Frank Buckland tried might be tried with more suc- 
cess. A hole might be bored in the shell, and pearls of no value 
inserted. These might form the nucleus of larger pearls. I do 
not see why colour in pearls should not be studied, the changes 
from a dark beginning to a clear outer skin and vice versa. Are 
they the result of food, or situation, or light? In the fresh water 
mussel the matter is in its veriest infancy, and with observation 
Nature might be made to yield her secret. 
As to the food value of the oyster, I am afraid that any one 
trying it will find it insipid and tasteless, and to make it savoury a 
