Dr. Nitsche states that the whole pearling district is not searched over every year, but is divided into 313 sections, each one constituting a day’s work for three fishermen, and rarely are more than twenty or thirty of these fished in any one year. Thus each section or district is permitted to rest and recuperate for ten or fifteen years before it is again invaded. Every mussel is opened carefully by hand, with the aid of a peculiarly constructed iron instrument. By inserting the edge of this between the nibs of the shell and turning it at right angles, the valves are opened sufficiently to determine whether a pearl is contained therein. If none is observed, the instrument is released and the mussel returned uninjured to the water; but if a pearl is found within, the shell is forced open and the find removed. In case small pearls are observed which give promise of growing larger in time, they are not removed, but the year is marked upon the shell with the opening implement and the mussel returned to the water. It often happens that good pearls are later removed from shells marked in this manner. Complete records exist of the yield of this fishery during each year since 1719, when the Vogtland passed to the electorate of Saxony. The following is a summary of these records arranged in series of twenty years each. [Illustration] DOWAGER CZARINA OF GRAND DUCHESS VLADIMIR GRAND DUCHESS MARIE RUSSIA PAVLOVNA Years Half Clear clear Sand Damaged Average pearls pearls pearls pearls Total per year No. No. No. No. No. No. 1720–1739 1,809 727 1,201 552 4,289 214 1740–1759 1,412 578 484 281 2,755 138 1760–1779 1,042 272 427 219 1,960 98 1780–1799 1,261 243 357 179 2,040 102 1800–1819 1,603 261 325 203 2,392 120 1820–1839 1,659 340 326 326 2,651 133 1840–1859 1,884 610 387 505 3,386 169 1860–1879 1,618 682 450 514 3,264 163 1880–1899 471 394 86 373 1,324 66 1900–1905 79 161 22 86 348 58 —————— ————— ————— ————— —————— ——— Total in 186 years 12,838 4,268 4,065 3,238 24,409 Average per year 69 23 22 17 131