THE NAUTILUS. 57 



Neritina virginea L. On rocks and stones at the water's edge, 

 inside the harbor, near the government wharf at Bluefields Bluff. 

 As I made annual trips to Bluefields from my station at Wounta 

 Haulover, I searched this spot and turned over the stones in April 

 of 1899, 1900 and 1901, but saw none of these shells until May 5, 

 1902, when I found them in large quantities. The spot is about 200 

 yards from the sea, but in the rainy season is washed with fresh 

 water for weeks. Have these shells been brought to Nicaragua by 

 schooners from Grand Cayman or by fruit steamers from other 

 ports? The shell is small, being about the size of Neritina pupa L., 

 very uniform in its dark color and modest marking. It is very un- 

 like the N. virginea I have seen from the West Indies. 



Astralium ccelatum Gmel. Man of War Keys. A very abund- 

 ant shell on and about all the keys. An article of food among the 

 Indians. 



Astralium americanum Gmel. Same locality. Plentiful, but not 

 as numerous as caelatum. 



The Indians use the opercula of these shells for divination. By 

 pouring strong banana vinegar over an operculum, the lime is eaten 

 and gas liberated. This causes the operculum to " dance " about in 

 one direction or another and in that way they find out the particular 

 thing they want to know. No amount of explanation was able to 

 convince them of their foolishness. 



Turbo Jilosus Fischer. Man of War Keys. I found only two or 

 three dead shells. 



( 1o lie continued.*) 



LIST OF WISCONSIN SHELLS. 



BY GEORGE HALCOTT CHADYVICK. 



The following shells were collected in the summer of 1902 with 

 the active assistance of the members of the Wisconsin Natural 

 History Society, through whose bulletins a more complete annotated 

 list will shortly be published. A thorough survey of the State is 

 contemplated by the Society, for which this list will constitute a 

 beginning. The specimens listed are all in the Milwaukee Public 

 Museum. 



