PSEUDOMORPHIC OPAL. Opalized shells, bones, etc., are found in quantities in opal country. These specimens are unique and of much curious interest. A number of shells from the new fields 150 miles North West of Tarcoola (on the East-West Railway, over 250 miles from Port Augusta) were submitted to the author. In these the silica slowly and progressively took the place of the primary substance until it was completely opalized, the old form of the material being only retained. It is remarkable to contemplate the change of conditions which placed the former substance so completely at the mercy of the consuming opal. Such transformation is continual in Nature, manifesting variously in the mineral world, proving that eternal progress is eternal change. It was the observation of similar material phenomena that led ancient scientists to the conclusion that transformations could be accomplished by the skill, knowledge and wisdom of sincere and gifted men who undaunted by superficial criticism persevered, and the triumphs of the chemist served to indicate how much more could be done by those brave enough to prove the immortality of man by reducing the unknown to terms of the known. The word PSEUDOMORPH is derived from the Greek PSEUDO and MORPHES, disguising one’s form. CHAPTER XXV PEARL PEARL: HOW PRODUCED: SYMBOLIC STORIES OF THE ANCIENTS: BOETHIUS AND THE RIVER PEARLS: VISHNU CREATES PEARLS: PEARLS ON THE RAMAYANA: SANDIUS’S CONTRIBUTION TO THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON IN 1673: SIR EVERARD HOME AND DARWIN ON THE FORMATION OF PEARLS: MR. KELAART’S REPORTS TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CEYLON: RESEARCHES OF PROFESSORS HERDMANN, HORNEL AND SEURAT: THE TIME OF PEARL MATURITY: HOME ON THE LUSTER OF THE PEARL: THE FORM OF A PEARL: THE PROCESS OF “SKINNING”: JEROME AND THE STORY OF THE DOVES: THE PEARL OF PRINCE IMENHEIT: THE GREAT PERSIAN PEARL: THE HOPE PEARL: THE AUSTRIAN IMPERIAL PEARL: LA PELLEGRINA: THE GREAT SOUTHERN CROSS: THE PEARL OF PHILLIP II OF SPAIN: THE PEARL OF THE KING OF MAABAR: THE TIBETAN PRAYER OF VICTORY: KING JAIPAL’S NECKLACE: THE FAMINE IN EGYPT: EBU HESHAM’S ACCOUNT OF THE TOMB OF PRINCESS TAJAH: BENVENUTO CELLINI AND THE PEARL NECKLACE OF THE DUCHESS OF FLORENCE: THE PEARL ROPE OF MARIE ALEXANDROVNA: PINK PEARLS: RED PEARLS: A DEATH RITE MENTIONED BY MARCO POLO: PEARLS USED IN BUDDHIST CEREMONIES: JULIUS CÆSAR, AN EXPERT IN PEARLS: THE BREASTPLATE OF VENUS GENETRIX: CÆSAR’S GIFT TO SERVILLA: PEARLS IN THE TIMES OF THE CÆSARS: SENECA’S CYNICISM: KLEOPATRA’S PEARLS: OTHER PEARL SWALLOWERS: PEARLS AND JEWELS OF MARY QUEEN OF SCOTLAND: PEARLS IN HEBRAIC AND ARABIAN LEGEND: THE PEARL IN CHINA: THE PEARL IN MEDICINE: THE ANGEL GABRIEL AND THE PEARL: THE PEARL OF PARADISE. PEARL