Ο
many difficulties surround the study of the Formation of Pearls, that
it is by no means surprising that a host of conjectures, often of a
very fanciful and even wild character, have from time to time been
promulgated with the view of explaining the origin of these
enigmatical little bodies. Many of the ancient. ideas respecting
Pearls have been set forth in an earlier chapter ; but with the advance
of sciçnçe these