140 



FULGUR. 



I 



Tlu! name Fiilgur, meaning lightninQ-, is in allusion to the 

 somewhat tortuous longitudinal brown streaks upon the shell, 

 indicating rest-periods in its growth. The animal is used for 

 bait I)y fishermen, and the trade in the shells for garden orna- 

 ments 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. 



Miirch and Adams have used the name Bim/con, 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 

 heterogenous assemblage of species which he called Pyrula. 



Th(i late Dr. Jeffre3's 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 curif-a and F. perver><a. These implements were probably 

 used 1)3' the aborigines for fleshing skins and for the manufaduie 

 of articles of wood. F. perversa was also used l)y the Florida 

 ludians as a drinking vessel, the interior whorls being removed 

 to iucrease its caiiacit^'. Tiiis same specnes was exteiisivel>- used 

 and must liave been an imi)ortant article of trade among the 

 nHjtives, as it is frequently found in Indian graves and mounds 

 tliroughout the Southern and Westein States and ('anada. It 

 is probable thati, among otlici- uses it was cut up into heads and 

 various small ornaments. The white; kind of wampum or shell 

 money of the Indians was jnirtially made of tlu; axis of the shells 

 of Fulgur, and partially' from Burcinuin tmddluni. 



F. CARicA, Gmelin. PI. 57, figs. 3^7-390 ; Fl. 58, fig. 400. 



Whitish, the 3'ounger specimens often marked bj' ash or 

 chocolate-colored longitudinal stripes at the principal rest-periods 

 in their growth ; mouth and columella in adult spe(Mnu'Us deej) 

 orange color. Length, 6-10 inches. 



(Jupe Cod, Mass. to Florida. Also Miocene and Post Pliocene. 



Animal large, dirty white to almost black; mantle thick, white, 

 edge plain ; pioboscis long, cylindrical, sligiitly bi-lobed and 

 black, or ncarl}' so, at the end, lighter next the bod}'; tentacles 

 short, triangular ; e^es on the outer side near the base. Qpercu- 



* Memoirs of the Peabody Academy, Vol. I, 1875. 



I 



