Fresh-ivater Pearh. 79 



Archipelago assert that Pearls of a yellowish colour 

 have been taken from the Pearly Nautilus {Nautilus 

 poinpilins), one of the group of cephalopodous mol- 

 luscs ; but that they throw them away as they are 

 considered unlucky, adding that if a man fought with 

 a ring on, bearing such a Pearl, he would surely be 

 killed. Taking into consideration however the habits 

 and organization of this wonderful animal, and re- 

 membering the beautiful nacreous lining of its shell, 

 it may possibly be accepted as a true statement. 

 Indeed, Mr. Haynes, has a specimen in his posses- 

 sion which he considers an undoubted ** Nautilus 

 Pearl." 



Fresh-water Pearls. 



As our principal supply of marine Pearls is 

 derived from the x^viculidce, so our fresh-water Pearls 

 are mainly supplied by the great family of the 

 UnionidcB. The most important Pearl-bearer of 

 this family, and the one which chiefly concerns us, 

 as being the most productive, is the true European 

 Pearl-mussel, the Unio viargaritifera. The word 

 unio is borrowed by conchologists, from Pliny, who 

 uses it to designate the Pearl, because as he tells 

 us no two Pearls were ever found exactly alike, so 

 that the task of matching a Pearl became one of 

 great difficulty. Each Pearl is in fact unique {unio). 



