232 Pearls. 



seventeenth century they were very productive, 

 nothing since then has anything like approached 

 these figures. 



The West Indian Pearls are yielded by Melea- 

 grina squamulosa^ Lam., the shells of which pass in 

 commerce under the names of "blue-edged" or 

 *' black-lipped" shells, and it is these shells that furnish 

 most of the so-called " smoked Pearl." One method 

 of obtaining the shells in the Caribbean waters, is 

 by dragging over the rocky sea-bottom a rake or 

 wooden frame set with curved spikes, whereby the 

 shells are torn from their bed. 



In 1856, there were imported into England 

 Pearls valued at about ;f 25,000 from the fishery in 

 the Caribbean seas. But our connection with this 

 fishery has lately been anything but satisfactory : 

 indeed we have known a considerable sum of 

 money lost upon trying to revive the industry in 

 this area. The author hoped to obtain further 

 authentic information with regard to the present 

 condition of the American Pearl-fisheries, and the 

 publication of the present work has been delayed 

 on that account ; but as the expected information 

 has not yet arrived, the work cannot be kept 

 back any longer, and any additional matter must 

 therefore be reserved for insertion in a future edition. 



