Pink Pearls, 275 



found, and placed the fish in an enclosed place in 

 the water. At the expiration of a month or more, 

 the fish were again removed, and, of course. Pearls 

 found in them, several of which were sold to inex- 

 perienced persons before the fraud was detected. It 

 was found out, however, and the perpetrator received 

 prompt and deserved punishment." 



Mr. Wood, in his "Zoography" relates that he 

 saw a pink Pearl, which was taken from the body 

 of the animal of the great West Indian conch shell, 

 which is fished for the table off the Island of Bar- 

 badoes. The Pearl was discovered by chance, while 

 the men were cleaning the fish. Its weight was 24 

 grains, but it lacked perfection of shape. The same 

 author states that only four of these Pearls had 

 been discovered in the vast number of shell fish that 

 are annually brought to market in that part of the 

 world, though he has reason to believe that this is 

 in some measure owing to the carelessness of the 

 negroes, who clean their fish without consideration, 

 and have probably in their hurry returned many a 

 Pearl to the sea. Once there, sand, by continuous 

 washing against the Pearl, would soon reduce it to 

 powder, the carbonate of lime of the Pearl being 

 not so hard as the sand. 



Pink Pearls have one great drawback, namely, 

 that ninety per cent, of them are irregular in shape, 



