70 SECRETS OF ANIMAL LIFE 



Few civilized men or women see any conspicuous 

 symbolism in the cowrie; a coal-tar product has 

 taken the place of Tyrian purple; pearls are no 

 longer calcined to make priceless pills; and much 

 that has been has passed away for ever. On the 

 other hand, pearls retain their charm; the voice of 

 the shell-trumpet has not yet ceased; decorations 

 of shells are still very common; and there are few 

 children to whom a beauty-feast of shells appeals 

 in vain. Probably, however, the most enduring 

 results of the cult of shells have passed indistin- 

 guishably into the fabric of the human web of life 

 we mean " the important part the search for shells 

 has played in the diffusion of the elements of culture 

 and in the upbuilding of civilization." 



