﻿THE 
  STORY 
  OF 
  A 
  PEARL. 
  53 
  

  

  shops 
  or 
  bazaars 
  in 
  front, 
  and 
  the 
  richly 
  laden 
  boats 
  returning 
  

   in 
  the 
  afternoon, 
  would 
  in 
  many 
  respects 
  suit 
  modern 
  times. 
  

   Each 
  boat 
  held 
  ten 
  divers, 
  but 
  only 
  five 
  sets 
  of 
  stones 
  of 
  30 
  lb. 
  

   weight 
  (as 
  sinkers), 
  and 
  five 
  nets 
  (as 
  collectors), 
  as 
  only 
  half 
  of 
  

   the 
  men 
  are 
  at 
  work 
  at 
  a 
  given 
  time. 
  The 
  divers 
  remain 
  below 
  

   from 
  "two 
  to 
  three 
  minutes," 
  "rarely 
  four 
  to 
  five 
  minutes,"* 
  

   and 
  bring 
  up 
  about 
  one 
  hundred 
  Pearl-Oysters, 
  which 
  are 
  of 
  

   small 
  size 
  — 
  from 
  2h 
  to 
  3 
  in. 
  at 
  most. 
  An 
  Australian 
  pearl-shell 
  

   diver 
  will 
  bring 
  up 
  30 
  lb. 
  weight 
  each 
  time, 
  but 
  each 
  shell-fish 
  is 
  

   from 
  6 
  to 
  10 
  in. 
  in 
  diameter, 
  and 
  weighs 
  2 
  lb. 
  

  

  Besides 
  the 
  fishes 
  which 
  eat 
  the 
  pearl-shells, 
  the 
  valves 
  are 
  

   attacked 
  by 
  a 
  boring 
  sponge, 
  by 
  marine 
  worms, 
  by 
  Murex, 
  and 
  

   " 
  Pholades," 
  and 
  occasionally 
  small 
  hard 
  shells, 
  such 
  as 
  Cerithium, 
  

   get 
  between 
  the 
  edges 
  of 
  the 
  valves 
  and 
  prevent 
  closure, 
  so 
  that 
  

   Hermit-Crabs 
  get 
  in 
  and 
  devour 
  the 
  soft 
  parts. 
  Starfishes 
  are 
  

   equally 
  destructive, 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  the 
  Common 
  Oyster. 
  Pea- 
  

   Crabs 
  are 
  also 
  found 
  internally. 
  Externally 
  are 
  various 
  polyps 
  

   (Zoophytes), 
  Ascidians, 
  and 
  Serpulids.f 
  

  

  Pearl-fishing 
  in 
  fresh 
  waters 
  is 
  carried 
  on 
  chiefly 
  when 
  the 
  

   rivers 
  are 
  very 
  low 
  in 
  June, 
  July, 
  and 
  August 
  — 
  at 
  a 
  time 
  when 
  

   such 
  rivers 
  as 
  the 
  Tay 
  can 
  in 
  most 
  places 
  be 
  forded. 
  The 
  bed 
  

   of 
  the 
  river 
  is 
  covered 
  with 
  rough 
  stones, 
  between 
  which 
  patches 
  

   of 
  gravel 
  or 
  sandy 
  gravel 
  occur. 
  In 
  these 
  patches 
  the 
  Pearl- 
  

   Mussels 
  are 
  found 
  — 
  the 
  broader 
  (anterior) 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  shell, 
  with 
  

   the 
  mouth 
  and 
  foot, 
  sunk 
  deeply, 
  whilst 
  the 
  posterior 
  end, 
  with 
  

   the 
  dark 
  brown 
  fringe 
  of 
  the 
  mantle, 
  projects 
  above 
  the 
  surface. 
  

   Respiration 
  is 
  thus 
  readily 
  carried 
  on, 
  and 
  the 
  currents 
  likewise 
  

   convey 
  food. 
  In 
  rivers 
  such 
  as 
  the 
  Tay 
  the 
  ripples 
  on 
  the 
  

   surface 
  render 
  it 
  difficult 
  to 
  see 
  objects 
  on 
  the 
  bottom. 
  Accord- 
  

   ingly 
  the 
  pearl-fishers 
  carry 
  a 
  rude 
  kind 
  of 
  water-telescope, 
  

   which 
  enables 
  them 
  to 
  take 
  in 
  a 
  considerable 
  range 
  of 
  the 
  

   bottom, 
  and 
  readily 
  observe 
  each 
  shell, 
  which 
  is 
  removed 
  by 
  a 
  

   forked 
  stick, 
  or 
  an 
  iron 
  instrument 
  of 
  similar 
  shape. 
  In 
  many 
  

   places 
  the 
  stones 
  in 
  the 
  bed 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  are 
  covered 
  by 
  a 
  bright 
  

  

  * 
  Prof. 
  Herdman 
  states, 
  from 
  personal 
  observation, 
  that 
  none 
  reached 
  

   two 
  minutes, 
  and 
  few 
  over 
  a 
  minute 
  and 
  a 
  half. 
  Op. 
  cit. 
  p. 
  64. 
  

  

  i 
  Prof. 
  Herdman 
  mentions, 
  amongst 
  other 
  natural 
  enemies, 
  Mocliola 
  

   barb 
  at 
  a, 
  which, 
  when 
  in 
  quantity, 
  smothers 
  the 
  young 
  Oysters. 
  Op. 
  cit. 
  

   p. 
  121. 
  

  

  