Ancient Ideas on their Origin and Virtues. 6\ 



nutmegs: "the}- are much coveted." The fourfold 

 division of caste holds also with oysters ; accordingly 

 these Pearls are of four kinds. 



Pearls which originate in the Bamboo are clear 

 as the moon, and are like the kakkol fruit in shape. 

 They are generally enjoyable by the gods — though 

 some mortals, through rare merit, obtain possession 

 of one or two. " There are five species of Bamboo, 

 consequently these Pearls are classified under five 

 distinct heads." 



This elaborate account of the various ways in 

 which different kinds of Pearl may be supposed to 

 originate, by no means exhausts the possibilities of 

 their formation, as recognized in the East. Thus 

 a very prominent Indian belief — one indeed, which 

 has retained a certain amount of credence even 

 down to our own times — is that which makes the 

 head of the toad one of the many laboratories in 

 which Nature manufactures Pearls. The same 

 Indian authority we have already referred to says : 

 ■' In certain places Pearls are found on the head 

 of frogs ; learned men class them with serpent- 

 Pearls." This notion was at one time widely pre- 

 valent in this country, and we find Lupton, in his 

 book of " Notable Things " proposing a crucial 

 test, whereby the true *' Toad-jewel ' may be 



