1883.] Pearls and Pearl Fisheries. 585 
search the animal for pearls. If any are detected they cut the 
muscles which hold the two valves together, and extract the 
pearls; but if none are found the creature is restored uninjured 
to the water. The pearls are put into a bottle of water on the 
spot, and afterward dried and sorted in the house. Sometimes a 
mussel will be found with small pearls in it which give promise of 
better growth. Such shells are marked with the point of the 
iron and put back. Sometimes excellent pearls have been ob- 
tained from mussels which had been so treated. The pearl fishers 
recognize four qualities of pearls: clear, half clear, sand-pearls 
and refuse. The last are chiefly those which are composed only 
of the prismatic or epidermal shell-substance, are brown or black 
and without luster. Rosy and green pearls with fine luster are 
very highly esteemed. 
The yearly product of pearls is known from the royal account 
books 
In 1649 Abraham Schmirler obtained fifty-one large and forty- 
two small clear pearls, thirty-two half clear pearls, fifty-nine 
refuse and forty-two black pearls. But only since 1719 has a 
complete report been made accessible. The results are shown in 
the following table: 
F Clear Pearls. Half clear, Sand-Pearis. Refuse. Totals. 
ONO E E cn ; Labais 
; Total.|Annual.| Total.|Annual.| Total. Annual.| Total. Anuual.| Total.) Annual. 
E E EAS 
tA ae o... 1809] 90.45 | 726 | 36.35 |12co | 60.00} 552 |.27.60| 4288/214.40 
1740-59 ..... 1412| 70.60| 578 | 28.65 | 485 | 24.25] 281 | 14.05 | 2751/137.55 
1760-79 ...., 1042| 52.10 | 272 | 13.60 | 427 | 21.35 | 219 | 10.95| 1960| 98.00 
Sones 1261| 63.05 | 243 | 12.15 | 357 | 17-85| 179 | 8.95| 2040|102.00 
1800-19... 160 15| 261 | 13.05 | 325 | 16.2 10.15 | 2392|109. 
1820-39 teses 659| 82.95 | 340 | 17.00 | 325 | 16:25 | 326 | 16.30 | 26501132.50 
da ae 1884| 94.20 | 610 | 30.50 | 388 | 1940| 305 |25.25 | 3387/169-35 
1860-79 dike be 1618) 80.90 | 682 | 34.10 | 450 | 22.50] 514 | 25.70| 3264 163.20 
ees . eet 
In 161 years., 12288 76.32 | 3708 | 23.03 | 3957 | 24-57 | 2779 | 17-25 !22732/141.19 
Se os die teas hanna fea a 
The table shows the total product for each quality for the peri- 
ods of twenty years each, and the mean annual product of each 
quality, also the totals and annual means for the whole period of 
161 years covered by the table. 
The pearls were formerly turned over to the Royal Museum of 
Natural History, where they were held subject to the needs of 
the directors of the famous Royal Art Museum of Dresden. 
They were sorted and the finest employed in making articles of 
Ornament, collars, bands, etc., and in embroidery. A magnificent 
Pearl collar is one of the treasures of the Dresden “ Green vaults,” 
