Cyproza mauritiana, have been household ornaments for centuries, and 

 have also served as playthings for young children, who have held them 

 to their ears to hear ' the sound of the roaring sea.' 



" In habits, the cowries are shy and slow in movement, gliding over 

 the coral reefs and marine vegetation with a sluggish, steady motion. 

 They present a beautiful sight when viewed through the water, their 

 brilliant colors vieing with those of the corals, sea anemones, and sea- 

 weeds. They are said to feed principally upon the coral animals. 



" From very ancient times the cowries have been used for adorn- 

 ment or for barter, the Cyprcea annulus, or ringed cowry, having been 

 found by Dr. Layard in the ruins of Nimrud; it is stated that 

 the same species is now used by the islanders of the Indian and Pacific 

 oceans to weight their fish-nets and to adorn their persons. In western 

 Africa, the money cowry, Cyprcm moneta, has been and is now used 

 as a medium of exchange in place of gold. Many tons were yearly 

 shipped to England from the Indian and Pacific oceans, to be again 

 carried to Africa to barter with the natives for ivory and other articles. 



" The number of cowries which have been given for various articles, 

 with their value in American currency, is interesting. Thus it is recorded 

 by the conchologist Reeve that a gentleman residing at Cuttack, in India, 

 paid for the building of his bungalow entirely in cowries, giving over 

 sixteen million specimens. The value of these cowries was four thou- 

 sand rupees sicca in Indian money, or about two thousand dollars 

 in American money. In another place it is recorded that a young 

 wife cost from sixty thousand to a million cowries, or from nineteen 

 to thirty-seven dollars, while an ordinary wife cost but twenty thou- 

 sand shells, or about six dollars. 



" The value of cowries varies in different countries. In India, one 

 rupee is worth five thousand or six thousand cowries, while in parts 

 of Africa, two hundred cowries are worth sixteen cents. In Sudan 

 two thousand cowries, which weigh seven pounds, are worth one dollar. 

 On the west coast of Africa, where trading in cowries is largely carried 

 on, the following gradation of value is recorded by Dr. Stearns : 



40 cowries =- 1 string, 1 heads = 1 bag, 



2 strings : - 1 penny, 2,000 cowries =- 1 head, 



100 cowries =- 1 penny, 3 heads = I dollar, 



50 strings : - 1 head of cowries, 20,000 cowries =- 1 bag. 

 In other places the value is about Is. 3d. for 1,000 shells. 



The money cowry is also used for ornaments upon the trappings 

 of horses and elephants, as well as on the persons of men and women. 

 The rich, yellow variety is much sought after by the chiefs of several 



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