Shell-Trumpets and their Distribution. 39 
They are also blown to still the waves and ensure 
safe voyages. The Chinese, likewise, use a large shell, a 
species of Fusus, for their fog-horns.” 
Both Huish* and Rein,” in their works on Japan, 
mention the use of 7yztoz-horns in that country. Rein 
tells us that shells of Zyeton ¢tritonzs (Japan, Hora-gai) 
“were formerly employed as signal horns and provided 
with a brass mouthpiece to replace the tips. According 
to Pinto, in blowing them, riot was indicated by one blast, 
fire by two blasts, robbery by three, treachery by four, 
though they also plaved a part as signal horns in war, and 
were therefore also called Jin-gai, war mussel shells or 
camp snails. Their blowers were the Hora-fiu, or Hora- 
wo-fuku. Both these expressions for blowers of the 
Triton’s horn have become in Japan the common desig- 
nation for a person who is fond of boasting: ‘ Ano hito 
wa hora wo fuku, he blows the Triton’s horn, z.z., he is 
bragging.” 
In the East Indian Archipelago and the Pacific 
Islands, we find many instances of the use of shells as 
trumpets. 
In describing the wind instruments used by the tribes 
of Borneo, Shelford" relates that some Brunei Malays 
recently informed him that a trumpet, made by merely 
knocking off the top whorl of the large helmet-shell Casszs 
tuberosum, was used by them for calling their buffaloes 
together ; their name for the trumpet was “ buyong.” He 
could hear of no other people in Borneo who employ a 
similar instrument. 
‘1 A, H. Cooke, ‘‘ Mollusks,” Camb. Nat. Hist., 1895, pp. 101-2. 
*° Huish, ‘‘ Japan and its Art,” 1893, pp. 146-7. 
Sao Nem,) o Japanse: Loo4s ps 207. 
44 R. Shelford, *‘ Illus. Cat. Ethnog. Coll. Sarawak Museum: Pt. 1., 
Musical Instruments.” Joven. Stratts Branch Roy. Astatic Soc., No. 40. 
June, 1904, p. 20. 
