a more lustrous jewel by removing the outer layer. The translucency of the perfect pearl has not been correctly reproduced by any artificial production. A curious passage in Jerome Cardan’s “De Rerum Varietate” (16th century), repeats an old saying that the lustre and polish on pearls arises from doves playing with them. To understand this seemingly absurd story it is necessary to carry our minds far back to the famous Greek oracle at Dodona in Epirus. According to Herodotus the Phœnicians carried off the sacred women from Thebes in Egypt to the Libian oracle of Zeus Ammon and to Dodona—the legend at Dodona saying that they came in the form of two doves. The Greek word for “doves” is the same as that for “priestesses,” namely, PELEIAI. The connection can be carried further, if necessary, but it is sufficient to establish the tie between women and the doves. The word PELEIAI was freely used for both and came to be employed as an endearing term for wise women just as we today call a woman of talent “Diva.” It is a proven fact and an extremely ancient one that pearls worn near the skin of a woman—especially, according to ancient philosophy, near one in whose horoscope the moon was powerfully placed at birth—are improved in lustre and tone. So let the “Doves” (peleiai) be wise and play with their pearls. Tavernier writes of “the most beautiful pearl in the world” which belonged to Imenheit, Prince of Muscat. After a lavish entertainment which the Khan of Ormus gave in honor of the Prince, the latter took off a chain which he wore round his neck and to which was attached a small bag. From the bag he drew forth this wonderful pearl of perfect sphericity, so translucent that the light could almost be seen through it. The weight of this gem was 12 carats and so high a value did Prince Imenheit place on it that he refused 2000 tomans for it from his host, the Khan of Ormus, who coveted it as a present for the King of Persia, and 40,000 crowns with which he was later tempted by an agent of the Grand Mogul. This pearl was discovered off the Persian coast. Another great pearl which, according to Tavernier, was the most perfect ever discovered, was found at Catifa, a famous fishery in Pliny’s time. The great traveller says that the King of Persia obtained it from an Arabian merchant in 1633. It was a pearl of great size and a “pearl of great price,” the King giving 1,400,000 livres (about $550,000) for it. It was pear-shaped, and of perfect colour and symmetry. The weight is not stated, but it was said to be about 1½ inches in length and 63 inches in diameter at its greatest part. The “Hope” pearl of cylindrical form weighs 454 carats. This gem belonged to Mr. Henry Thomas Hope, so well-known in connection with the “Hope” diamond. Another famous pearl of 300 carats once adorned the Imperial crown of Austria. “La Pellegrina,” an Indian white circular pearl of 28 carats, said to be the most perfect specimen in the world today, was in the Zosima Museum,