MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES. 141 



Two or three months ano I saw mention made of them by 

 Major MacNair, R. E , in his work " Perak and the Malays," 

 and some years ago a work on Borneo, Sarawak, &c. made an 

 especial allusion to them. But both authors spoke of the 

 thing* rather as a myth. It would be truly worthy work for 

 you and a small council of your friends and brother savants 

 to solve this mystery. Procure another batch of these pearls 

 which are known to experts by their general appearance; lock 

 them up (when in council assembled) for six months or so, 

 and at the end of that term reveal to the public whether the 

 pearls have increased. 



(Signed) Frank Buckland. 

 November 16, 1878. 



Pearls are composed of aggregated minute crystals of 

 carbonate of lime. But we are apparently stumped at the out- 

 set, for crystals can only grow in solution, and the conditions 

 in which pearls breed are, " that they be kept in a dry box." 

 However, we must make the best of things as they are. There 

 is always water present in the air as aqueous vapour, varying 

 in quantity according to circumstances ; and the extreme limit 

 of that quantity is determined by the temperature. Carbonic 

 acid is also a constant constituent of the air, the normal 

 amount being about 0.4 per cent, by volume; and there are 

 always solid particles of organic and inorganic matter, varying 

 in quantity and quality according to obvious conditions. We are 

 told that it is necessary for the production of new pearls that 

 nutritive material be provided in the shape of grains of rice. 

 Kice like the grains of all cereals, contains lime, chiefly as the 

 phosphate, and to some extent also as the carbonate. As pearls 

 are composed of carbonate of lime it is probable that these 

 earthy salts are the source from which the young ones are 

 formed. As a confirmation of thn I may mention that the old 

 book previously alluded to states the Japanese use not rice, but 

 a cheek-varnish prepared from a particular kind of shell. The 

 preference of rice to other grains may be explained by the fact 

 that it is the chief support of the inhabitants of warm countries 

 where breeding pearls are found, and hence is most easily 

 obtained. In the neighbourhood of chalk cliffs or limestone 

 rocks, from the triturating effects of atmospheric agencies, 

 both chemical and physical, the dust floating in the atmosphere 

 is largely composed of carbonate of lime in an excessive- 

 ly fine state of division. It is just possible that similar 



