114 SHELL MONEY. 



names which have been attached to the species, preti- 

 osum, meaning precious, and In-di-an-o'-rum; mean- 

 ing "of the Indians." They gathered the shells 

 with a rude instrument, shaped like a comb with few 

 teeth, fixed to the end of a spear. While his squaw 

 slowly rowed the boat along, the brave Indian plunged 

 his comb-like spear into the sand; if he made a suc- 

 cessful thrust there would be one or more of 

 these creatures caught upon the teeth of the comb; 

 after the expedition they were prepared for stringing. 

 This was the primitive way of ' ' making money ' ' on 

 the Pacific coast. The shells vary from less than an 

 inch to a considerably greater length. 



Dentalium hexagoniim, Sby., hex-ag'-o-num, is a 

 southern species, having a shell white, delicate, ang- 

 led, slightly curved, and about an inch long. 



Ianthina trifida, Nutt., Yan'-thi-na tri'-fi-da, Violet 

 Snail. This little creature has habits very different from 

 those of the Dentalium. Instead of burrowing in the 

 sand, it lives far out in the open ocean. It is kept at 

 the surface by a singular raft which it secretes, and it 

 feeds upon small jelly-fishes. 



The shell is small and is shaped much like that of 

 the land-snail. It is thin and delicate, and has a 

 deep notch in the outer lip. The color is a deep vio- 

 let, quite unlike that of any other shell. Though it 

 usually lives far out at sea, sometimes shells get 

 washed to the shore, but they are comparatively rare 

 on our coast. 



Siphonaria peltoides, Dall, Si-fo-na'-ri-a pel-toi'-des, 

 has a Limpet-shaped shell, small, thin, and low- 

 arched, with the apex a little to one side of the cen- 

 ter. The color is light brown with more or less darker 

 rays, and its length is one-fourth of an inch or more. 



