THE ECONOMIC MOLLUSCA OF ACADIA. 11 



mud underlying the mussel-beds. In time the Mussels them- 

 selves are sure to become valuable, and certain beds should be 

 left undisturbed. The Squid has been to some extent used 

 for this purpose, but lately it has become too valuable as a 

 bait to be so employed. 



The shells of but few of our Molluscs are available for 

 purposes of ornamentation. Most shells of the Temperate 

 Zone are plain and dull in comparison with the brilliantly 

 colored and beautifully sculptured forms of the tropic seas. 

 Hence a review of the subject as far as regards our waters 

 would be very short in comparison with that of the world 

 at large. Savage and civilized man have alike delighted to 

 use them for personal and household decoration. Some of our 

 Whelks or Spindle-shells are frequently seen as ornaments for 

 mantels in fishermen's houses, and as borders for flower-beds 

 in their gardens. Mussel-shells and the Cockle (Cardium) are 

 made into ornamental dishes, pin-cushions and the like. The 

 valves of Scallops, particularly of our great Pecten tenuicosta- 

 tus, and the Beach Clam (Madra solidissima ) give a good 

 surface for painting on, and are fi'equently thus utilized. No 

 doubt our Troclius occidentcdis and species of Margarita could 

 be used for many minor purposes if they could be obtained in 

 sufficient numbers; they are as beautiful as most of the shells 

 made into shell boxes and the like. The Indians of America 

 used wampum as an ornament as well as for money; the 

 Indians 'of Acadia appeared to have employed it more for the 

 former purpose than the latter. The subject will be further 

 considered below. 



By far the most important of ornaments yielded by Molluscs 

 are pearls. The best, as everybody knows, come from the 

 Persian Gulf and the coasts of Ceylon and Central America, 

 and are found in the pearl oyster. Several of our Molluscs 

 yield bodies, which, though pearly in their nature and mode 

 of formation, yet lack the lustre of true pearls. Such occur in 

 the Horse-mussel, Edible Mussel, and even in Quahogs, Clams 

 and Oysters, of which the first two have the nearest true pearls 

 in appearance. Those of the Edible Mussel have had some 

 <;ommercial value in England. In the Mussels of our fresh 



