"
"Branch of molluscs," said Conseil.
"Precisely so, my learned Conseil; and, amongst these testacea
the earshell, the tridacnae, the turbots, in a word, all those
which secrete mother-of-pearl, that is, the blue, bluish, violet,
or white substance which lines the interior of their shells,
are capable of producing pearls."
"Mussels too?" asked the Canadian.
"Yes, mussels of certain waters in Scotland, Wales, Ireland,
Saxony, Bohemia, and France."
"Good! For the future I shall pay attention," replied the Canadian.
"But," I continued, "the particular mollusc which secretes the pearl
is the pearl-oyster, the meleagrina margaritiferct, that precious
pintadine. The pearl is nothing but a nacreous formation, deposited
in a globular form, either adhering to the oyster shell, or buried
in the folds of the creature. On the shell it is fast; in the flesh
it is loose; but always has for a kernel a small hard substance, may
be a barren egg, may be a grain of sand, around which the pearly
matter deposits itself year after year successively, and by thin
concentric layers.
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