Geograpnical Distribution of the Shell-Purple Industry. 7 
liquid of the Bucc’num and one hundred pounds of that 
of the Purpura." 
The best purple was stated by the ancients to be 
exceedingly durable ; and when Alexander took posses- 
sion of Susa, he found among the treasures of Darius, 5,000 
talents in weight of purple cloth, from Hermione in the 
Peloponnesus, which had been laid up there for 180 years, 
and yet retained all its freshness and brilliance of colour.” 
The purple-bordered praetextee of Servius Tullius, 
with which the statue of Fortune dedicated by him, was 
covered, lasted until the death of Sejanus; and it is a 
remarkable fact, that, during a period of 560 years, they 
had never changed colour.” 
The real Tyrian purple and purple-stuffs were essen- 
tially articles of luxury, varying in price according to 
times and quality. 
They were always costly and vied in value even with 
gold itself. Consequently we find them reserved for the 
hangings of temples, or employed for the robes of priests 
and kings. . Moses, it is recorded, used purple stuffs for 
the works of the tabernacle, as well as for the habits of 
the high priest; and among the presents which the 
Israelites made to Gideon the Scriptures mention purple 
raiment that belonged to the kings of Midian.“ The 
Babylonians are said to have devoted this purple to the 
dress of their idols, and Tertullian speaks of its use among 
the ancient kings of Egypt and Babylonia.” It was con- 
sidered a noble and sacred colour by -the ancients and 
emblematic of the power of the gods, an idea which is 
explained by Besnier by the resemblance of the purple to 
'' Mary Roberts, ‘‘ A Popular History of the Mollusca,” 1851, p. 120. 
12'Platarch, AZex., p- 36. 
‘8 Pliny, “© N. H.,” viii., ch. 74. 
14 “Tudges,” 8, 26. 
15 Tertull, De rdo/, p. 158. 
