BUCCINID. 139 
Dentition of typical form; rhachidian tooth 5—6 dentate, laterals 
5-6 dentate. 
Animal rather small, retractile with its operculum within the 
shell for about a third of a volution from the aperture. 
The distribution of the genus is restricted to the temperate 
and subtropical waters of the Atlantic Coast of the United 
States, and its manifest conchological position connects Fascio- 
laria with Neptunea. It is not infrequent in our miocene 
deposits, from which several species have been described by Mr. 
Conrad. 
The name Fulgur, meaning lightning, is in allusion to the 
somewhat tortuous longitudinal brown streaks upon the shells 
(of Southern specimens), indicating rest-periods in its growth. 
The animal is used for bait by fishermen, and the trade in the 
shells for garden ornaments and for use as hanging flower-pots 
is so extensive as to have nearly caused the extermination of 
the species upon portions of the New Jersey coast. 
Moreh and Adams have used the name Busycon, of Bolten, 
for this genus, but Bolten did not characterize it, whilst the 
later name given by Montfort accompanies a full generic 
description; I therefore prefer Fulgur. It was included by 
Lamarck in the heterogeneous assemblage of species which he 
called Pyrula. 
The late Dr. Jeffreys Wyman, in his valuable memoir on the 
“ Fresh-Water Shell Mounds of the St. John’s River, Florida,” 
mentions two kinds of chisel-shaped tools cut from the shells of 
Fulgur carica and F. perversa. These implements were probably 
used by the aborigines for fleshing skins and for the manufacture 
of articles of wood. Ff. perversa was also used by the Florida 
Indians as a drinking vessel, the interior whorls being removed 
to increase its capacity. This same species was extensively 
used and must have been an important article of trade among 
the natives, as it is frequently found in Indian graves and 
mounds throughout the Southern and Western States and 
Canada. It is probable that, among other uses, it was cut up 
into beads and various small ornaments. The white kind of 
wampum or shell money of the Indians was partially made of 
the axis of the shells of Fulgur, and partially from Buccinum 
undatum. 
sycotypus (Browne), Gill. Shell with canaliculate suture, 
periostraca ciliated, nodulous instead of spinous. J. canalicu- 
latus, Say (xlix, 17, 18). 
I do not consider Browne’s description sufficiently character- 
istic to meet the requirements of a diagnosis; moreover, these 
shells are known not to inhabit Jamaica. Gill’s diagnosis is, of 
course, accurate, but it mainly repeats the characters of Fulgur ; 
the real difference is in the canaliculated sutures and ciliated 
