96 PKARLV >AlTlLi:.S. 



the vk-tiiii. The Irai) is now either ehAsely watelieU. or a mark 

 is pkieed upon the spot, and the lisherman pursues his avoeation 

 upon other parts of ihi' wvW until a eerhiin jteriod lias ehipsed, 

 when he returns. :in<l in all pi'olialulil.v (inds the ^'aiitilus in hiseag-e 

 feedino- upon tlu- Itaii. Thv oi;i|,iu'l is now eari'lully Irl down, 

 and havinjz en.ercd llic liaskc. iliroMuh tlu- opcninii' on top. a 

 drxlerous inovcini'ui of I lie hand lixcs one or more ol" [\\v points 

 or hooks, and tiu' |)rizi' is solely lioisU'(l into tlii' canoe. 



Tlu- Pearly Xaiil ilus is not lound at the Navii-atoi' nroup of 

 islands in the South Seas, ainl tiie shells lorni thei'ean iinporlant 

 arliele of exehanii^'. They are hiouuh; l)y Iviropean vessels 

 from New Caledonia and the l<\'ei;ee Islands as arlieles of trade, 

 and are hailered. wilh the natives at the rate of four I'oi- a dollar 

 or one shilliuii- eai'li. I am told it is indillerenl to the natives if 

 the shells are old or rather daniaii'ed. as they use the ehand)ered 

 portion for ornanienl. ruithin^- them down to suit the various 

 pur[)Oses to which ihey apply them. They also make armlets 

 and othei' ornanu'u's from the shell. A \essel arrived at Sydney 

 from New Caledonia with sexci'al tons of liiese shells, which 

 were disjjosed of as an article of trade to the Navigator and 

 Fiiendly Islands; Ihey were sold aL Sydney at about Hf/. each. 

 1 have set'U a very ele^anl tillel forme<l of these shells (of veiy 

 small size). hrouL!;ht from the Samoan Islands, the hi-illiam-y of 

 wliicli was that of the most hiuiily tmrnished sihcr. I'hey are 

 usi'd l)y the nali\es in war. and ait' hiuhly valued; this one 

 eostin*;- twi-nty dollars. The shells are (ixed to a small midribof 

 cocoa nut leaf, which supports them on a worked hand of sinneL ; 

 upon liiis. under the row of seventeen shells, small pieces of tlie 

 same pearly shell weic placed to add to the ormimental effect. 

 The len<;th of tin- hnnd was \-2 inches (not i]iclndin<;- the tying 

 strings) and the depth i! inches.* 



I n Imlia elegant drinking cups :ire made of Ntinl litis FomplUus, 

 the exterior c(jating being relieveil by carving on the inner 

 pearly lamina ; or it is sometimes grotesquely painted. Cameo 

 cai'\iiig on the shell of the Xaul:ilus is extensively practised in 

 Kngland and other count ries. ;ind shells thus prepared are highly 

 valued as ornaments. 



Dr. George Bennett, Proc. Zool Soc, 226, 1859. 



