THE 
♦ 
A Monthly Medium for Collectors and Students of Natural History. 
Address of Office : 369, EUSTON ROAD, LONDON, N.W. 
Vol. i, No. 5. NOVEMBER, 1892, One Penny. 
IN SEARCH OF SHELLS, 
(Continued prom page 29,) 
ALF an hour’s walk “ ower the muir’s amang the 
heather,” as the song says, and I arrive at the Little 
Fleet, A startled moorhen flutters awkwardly across 
the stream, while a heron, one of the most destructive 
enemies of fish, rises slowly from the water and sails majestically 
away. I find the water full of empty Unio shells, strong evidence 
of the wandering pearl fisher having been at work, I may here 
mention that every summer a few men are found wandering 
through this part of the country pearl fishing and are at times 
fairly remunerated for their trouble. They invariably sell the 
pearls to the nearest jeweller, although they never realise more 
than a few shillings. I now begin to divest myself of boots 
and stockings and getting into the water I soon pick out a dozen 
of as fine U?iios as one could wish to see. After some further 
search I am rewarded with a few specimens of Splicer him corneum . 
As the water is rather cold I do not remain long in it and 
hastily drawing on my boots I begin to open some Unios. On 
opening the third one I am gratified to find the much wished 
for pearl, and although not large it is certainly very pretty. I 
am quite satisfied with having found one and stowing it carefully 
away in a small pill box, I pick up my remaining specimens and 
proceed homewards. 
Walking along the river bank I notice numerous dragonflies 
of various kinds flitting through the air ; some of them are very 
