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Ear Shells — Part 1

Quantities of shells are exported to Paris and other European centres for use in inlaying in cabinet work, and for ornaments and buttons, and a multitude of small articles, like knife handles, fans, card-cases and pieces of jewellery.

The Splendid Ear Shell, or Abalone (H. fulgens, Phil.) is found on the coasts of Southern and Lower California. H. splendens, Rve., is a synonym. It is a thin elongated oval shell, 7 to 8 inches long, with a pearly lining that is indeed splendid as a peacock's tail, especially the roughened central patch, the muscle scar. The outer surface is uniformly dull brownish in colour, and faintly ridged with spirally radiating undulations, crossed by smaller and close-set rounded ridges. Each hole is elevated into a tubercle. From five to seven remain open. The closed tubercles are worn, as is also the depressed spire. The left side bears a flat pearly shelf, the columellar plate.

These shells when cleaned by acids and scraping, are as beautifully pearly outside as within. They are favourite mantel and cabinet ornaments, the most brilliant object the curio-dealer shows to the eager souvenir hunter on the west coast.

The Red Abalone (H. rufescens, Swains.) is larger and much heavier than H. fulgens. It is the chief commercial mother-of-pearl shell of the California coast. It often attains a length of nine inches. Its pearly lining abounds in green and pink tints. The exterior is brick red, with lumpy surface finely sculptured with radiating and cross ridges. The holes are large and elevated; usually four are open. These shells are often polished outside, and sold for cabinet ornaments. The flesh is boiled in sea water, then dried on the rocks for export to China; the shells are shipped in quantities to Europe for use in button-making, for ornaments and for inlay work. The Smithsonian Institution has a large collection of treasure boxes taken from the graves of Indians on San Nicholas Island. Two handsome shells, sealed together with asphaltum, contained trinkets belonging to the dead.

The Black Abalone (H. Cracherodii, Leach) is black outside, with shadings of purple or green. The lines of growth are its only sculpturing. The shell averages five inches in length, four inches in width and two inches in height. It is less shallow than the two species just described. The holes are small and not elevated; about eight are open. The pearly lining is thick and smooth, with silvery lustre and green and pink reflections.

This species is abundant on the rocks along shore from the Fallerone Islands to San Diego, Cal. Young ones exhibit very interesting habits of life when kept in jars of sea water.

The Rough Abalone (H. corrugata, Gray) of Catalina Island, San Diego and southward, is often six inches long. Its shell is wrinkled and knobbed outside, and the holes are much elevated. But four are open. There is a row of nodules parallel with the tubercled row of holes and below them; a deep channel separates the two series of tubercles. The lining is wavy and brilliantly iridescent. The thin epidermis is brown or greenish, often handsomely banded.

The Giant Ear Shell (H. gigantea, Chemn.), 7 to 10 inches in length, is the largest known species. It is reddish outside, the thin leathery epidermis raised in wavy folds along the lines of growth. The row of pronounced tubercles has five open holes. The lining is wavy, with unusually beautiful iridescence.

This is the "Awabi" of Japan, valuable not only for inlay work and mother-of-pearl articles curiously fashioned from the shells, but a staple article of food. Sir Edwin Arnold, writing his book, "Japonica" in Enoshima, where the awabi is taken in great quantities, says: "A strip of the membrane of this is put into the folded coloured paper--noshi--which accompanies all Japanese gifts, the mollusk in question being the symbol of long life and prosperity."

H. Kamschatkana, Jonas, ranges along the coasts above Japan, crosses Behring Straits and follows our Pacific coast to Monterey, Cal. It is probably a variety of the preceding species, smaller, with more pronounced lumpiness on the outside of the shell, with four open holes, a many-coloured epidermis and a silvery pearly lining. It seems to be the connecting link between the Japanese and West American species.

The Ormer, (H. tuberculata, Linn.), inhabits the Channel Islands, and follows the coast of Europe southward to the Canaries. It is regularly oval and very shallow, three or four inches long, mottled green and brown above, finely striated with the lines of growth and waved across them. The angle of the shell bears a row of six open holes in tubercles which are but slightly elevated. The muscle scar is inconspicuous; the pearly lining silvery, iridescent. The mantle border is elaborately decorated with a filamentous fringe which forms a considerable extension beyond the margin of the shell.