NATURAL HISTORY of NOkWAT. i6f 



and that it is fomething foreign to the Fish. The skin in which 

 the pearl is enclofed, is fo tranfparent on the fide next the shell, 

 that one may plainly fee the luftre and water of the pearl 

 through it ; but one cannot fo well difcover the quality through 

 the other part of the skin, which is covered with a fort of dime. 

 The shells in which pearls are found, have generally fome blemish 

 in their shape, and differ from the reft, being crooked, short, 

 8cc, and the larger the pearl is, the more obvious always is the 

 blemifh. Notwithstanding all this, one cannot, by the external 

 appearance, declare for a certainty whether fuch {hells have pearls 

 in them or not, and much lefs what water they are of; for the 

 pearls may have been damaged by fome accident, whilfl they 

 were in their fluid flate. A Mufcle may have more than One 

 pearl, and fometimes all of them of a good water. The greatefl 

 number of pearls are of a reddifh brown ; a good many are 

 white or grey, fome black, but the beft, which are very fcarce, 

 are of a pure water, and excellent luftre. When the Mufcles are 

 found at the bottom of rivers" that run with a pretty flrong cur- 

 rent, the outfide of the fhells are always of a yellowifh brown ; 

 but on muddy ground, or in ftagnated waters, the fhell is gene- 

 rally black : however, one cannot fay that the ground, or the 

 colour of the fhell, indicates the pearls to be larger or fmaller, 

 better or worfe, or fewer in number. The Mufcle may be open'd 

 without deftroying the Fifh, which will live after the pearl is 

 taken away ; but it is obferved, they never produce any more 

 pearls." So far Mr. Baumann. 



O. Wormius L fays, in his Mufeum, p. no, that he has had 

 fome Norway pearls not inferior to the Oriental. I have indeed . 

 feen fuch myfelf ; but I mull: alfo obferve, that the number of thefe 

 is not very confiderable * 



SECT. IV. 



The Snegle, Sea-fnails, Cochlea, are called here Konunger, or sn eg i e ; i 

 Kukelurer. They are found on thefe coafts of various forts, partly 

 flicking like Oyflers or Mufcles to the rocks, and partly lying 

 among the weeds, and in fandy bottoms. 



The fhells that are found in Norway are not fo large as thofe 

 that are brought from the Indies to ornament our grottoes. The 

 largeft I have found are about as big as a middle-fiz'd pear, and 

 they are partly of that lhape; tho' fome are round, and fome 



* We meet with Pearls in Norway, fome of which are of a clear white, and fhine 

 like hirer. Indeed we fometimes find fuch as, for their fize and beautiful water, are 

 not inferior to the Oriental. Fridr. Chriftian Letters Teftacco-Theologie, P. II. L. i. 

 c 4. §.314. 



form'd 



