Marvels of the Universe 



281 



With one film after anotliei" lie coats the 

 now lifeless cause of his annoyance. 

 StiU he laboriously excretes the delicate 

 substance, tiU at last he possesses a 

 treasure that makes him the envj' of 

 vain woman and the desire of covetous 

 man — a pearl, a pearl of price ! Now 

 comes the diver and wrenches him from 

 his rocky bed. He is bundled into 

 sacks with thousands of his unfortunate 

 companions ; with them he forms a 

 heap of d\dng and dead oysters piled on 

 the shore. It is not long before he, too, 

 is dead, and the two shells gape open, 

 disclosing the sheen of his beautiful 

 inner home. He is then dismembered, 

 and his little green-grey pulpy body is 

 cast with those of his kindred into the 

 great tub standing ready to receive 



By /fermission o/] 



this shell 



THE 



which 



[Charles de /ioi.tmnison. 

 ENGLISH RIVER MUSSEL. 



is the chief pearl-producer of the Scots fisheries. 



them. Now these murdered innocents 

 take a late revenge on their captors. 

 Their bodies decaj" and liquefy into an 

 evil-smeUing, disgusting " broth." Did I say evil-smelling ? The term is too light for the foul 



stench that is given off by hundreds 



of decayed oysters, 

 remains are left for a 

 then the liquid is drained 



The putrefying 

 year or so, and 



away. At 



hy p^-rmUtUm of] 



[CMrles He Bnum^cunn . 

 THE GIANT STROMBUS. 



This splendid shell haa occasionally produced pearls of a pink hue, 

 and of good quality, though apt to fade. 



the bottom of the tub will at last be 

 found the pearl which has caused the de- 

 struction of the unhappy oyster. 



That is the life history of the pearl 

 oyster and the jewel it secretes. As 

 many as one liundred and fifty pearls of 

 varying sizes have been found within a 

 single shell. 



But the common pearl oyster is not 

 the only shell that bears pearls ; specimens 

 have been found in the great univalve 

 shell known as the Giant Strombus, a 

 photograph of which is given on this 

 page. This shell, which has an inner lining 

 of coral pink, bears a pearl of the same 

 pink hue, which, however, is apt to fade 

 with age ; nor are these gems very often 

 found in Strombus, though eagerly sought 

 for on account of their good commercial 

 value. Again, there is the river-mussel 

 which inhabits the fresh-water streams of 

 Scotland and the North of England and 



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