BY THE REV. J. E. TENISON-WOODS. 81 



large specimen of Dendrophyllia nigrescens, which is stated to be 

 a Fiji species. At one time it was my intention to form a list of 

 the species which might be considered peculiar to Singapore, but 

 I soon found that there is absolutely no appreciable difference 

 between the coral faunas of Singapore, the great Australian 

 Barrier Reef, the Fiji Islands, and the islands of the Pacific. 

 There may be local species, but these are only few in number. 

 A good number of Malays are employed in gathering corals from 

 the reefs, which they bleach and sell, mostly to the passengers 

 on the mail boats. 



Pearl Shell and Pearl Fisheries. — The eastern region has 

 always been famous for its pearl fisheries ; but more in the 

 direction of the Aru Islands, New Guinea, and so on towards 

 Australia, and the Sooloo Archipelago than the Indian Archipelago 

 proper. Mother-of-pearl oysters have always been a valuable 

 export from the Philippine Islands. Speaking of the Aru 

 Islands, Mr. Earl says ("Jour, Ind. Archip." Vol. IV., p. 490) : 

 " But the great sources of wealth are the pearl and tripang banks 

 which lie on the eastern side of the group, and are often several 

 miles in width, being intersected by deep channels, some of which 

 will admit vessels of burthen. The tripang or sea-slug is of 

 several varieties. The greater portion is caught in shallow water, 

 where it can be picked up off the bank without diving. The 

 pearl oysters are of two varieties. 1st. The large oyster, with a 

 strong thick shell, from six to eight inches in diameter, which 

 furnishes the mother-o'-pearl shell of commerce. These are 

 obtained by diving, and are highly prized, being nearly always in 

 demand at Singapore for the European and Chinese markets. 

 This oyster produces few real pearls, but certain gnarled, semi- 

 transparent excrescences are occasionally found on the surface of 

 the inner shell, which are so highly esteemed by the Chinese that 

 they often attain enormous prices. The other description is the 

 small semi-transparent pearl oyster, having the inner surface of 

 the shell of a bluish colour (probably a Unio). The shell is of 

 small value as an article of commerce, but the oyster itself often 



