ABALONE (a Spanish word of unknown derivation), the name given in California to various species of molluscs of the widely distributed genus Haliotis ("ear shells," Ormers). The shell of these animals yields mother-of-pearl and is used in button-making and inlaying. The abalone was a favourite article of food among the Californian Indians and is still eaten in Japan and China. The Californian abalone is represented by three species, Haliotis splendens, H. rufescens, and H. cracherodii. (See