HALIOTJD^. — EAR-SHELL, OR SEA-EAR. 115 



writer speaks of the ormer, or Auris marina, " as a lump 

 of white pulp, very sweet and luscious," and another, as 

 quoted by Professor Ansted, in his ' Channel Islands,' 

 mentions " a large shellfish, taken plentifully at low 

 tides, called an ormoud, that sticks to the rocks, whence 

 we beat them off with a forck or iron hook. 'Tis much 

 bigger than an oyster, and like that, good either fresh 

 or pickled, but infinitely more pleasant to the gusto, so 

 that an epicure would think his palate in paradice if 

 he might but always gormondise on such delitious 

 ambrosia." Athenseus also tells us that the toTia, or 

 ears, are most nutritious when fried. Again, he says,* 

 " But otaria (and they are produced in the island called 

 Pharos, which is close to Alexandria) are more nutri- 

 tious than any of the before- mentioned fish (speaking 

 of cockles, sea-urchins, pinnas, etc.), but they are not 

 easily secreted. But Antigonus, the Carystian, says 

 this kind of oyster is called by the Jilolians the ' Ear of 

 Venus.' " 



Captain Beechey, in his ' Voyage to the Pacific,' men- 

 tions the abundance of two species of Haliotis in the Bay 

 of Monteroy, and that they are much sought after by 

 the Indians, not only for food, but because the shells 

 are used for ornaments, and the natives decorate their 

 baskets with pieces of them. Haliotis gigantea is eaten 

 by the Californian Indians, and the Chinese are very 

 partial to Venus's-ears, which form part of a Chinese 

 dinner, with sea-snails, sharks' fins, etc. The natives of 

 New Zealand call Haliotis iris, the mutton fish. 



In Guernsey, ear-shells are used by farmers to frighten 

 away small birds from the standing corn — two or three 

 of these shells being strung together and suspended by 

 * ' Deipnosophiats,' vol. i. bk. iii. 35, p. 146. 



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