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Ch. 8: Genesis of the Pearl

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THE PEARL
of a succession of plates from beneath, each series extending a little beyond its predecessor, the rough conchiolin fringe at their extremities forming the outer covering of the shell. Fol­lowing the growth of the epidermis, the shell and the lining are also extended and built up, so that the entire shell is constantly pushed to dimensions necessary for the proper and com­modious housing of its growing tenant.
Under the thin coat of epidermis on the Unio nigger-head, is a stratum of prism plates similar to the outer plates of the Venezuelan oyster. The prism faces are however smaller and the organic intersections are thicker and darker. Immediately under and abutting, is another series of plates which penetrate the shell almost horizontally at the lip end, to the lining; diagonally at the thick part of the shell near the umbo to another series of the same kind. Here, owing to their diagonal set, upon peeling off the epidermis and the epidermis plates, the edges appear as a series of fine lines curving about and spreading out from the umbo. The plates set outward, away from the umbo, from the lower or inner edge.
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Ch. 8: Genesis of the Pearl Page of 358 Ch. 8: Genesis of the Pearl
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