MURICID^E. WHELK. 199 



interior whorls and columella removed, so that nothing 

 remained but the exterior portion of the shell, which 

 was open in front, and in it was placed a rudely shaped 

 idol, in the form of a kneeling human figure, made of 

 clay with pounded shells. It was ploughed up in the 

 Sequatchy Valley.* 



Conch shells are used in the manufacture of shell 

 cameos, and are known as king, queen (Cassis Mada- 

 gascariensis), and common conch-shells. Large quan- 

 tities are exported from the Bahamas, and the beautiful 

 pale pink pearl is found in the common species. The 

 value of shells exported from thence is 1200 per 

 annum, and of pearls 3000 per annum, and it is also 

 stated that the bait used in line-fishing is usually the 

 conch, and that the fish are drummed up by striking 

 two conch-shells together. Ground-bait is used at the 

 same time, as in English rivers. j- 



The shells of Strombus gigas are used not only for 

 making shell cameos, but also in the manufacture of 

 porcelain, and it is stated that in 1850, about 300,000 

 of these shells were imported to Liverpool for the latter 

 purpose. According to M. Beau, in the Island of 

 Martinique the Creole cooks have recourse to Strombus 

 gigas during the fasting season. The fish, according to 

 its size, sells from twenty to forty centimes each. It is 

 slightly sweet and a little heavy, and not suitable for 

 invalids; but after being well beaten, rubbed with 

 charcoal to take away the mucous, washed in several 

 waters, the last saturated with lemon-juice, and cooked 

 with butter and condiments, it is an agreeable dish, 



* ' Trans. Amer. Ethnol. Society/ vol. i. pp. 360, 361; and vol. iii. 

 pp. 360, 364. 



f ' Official Introduction to Bahamas Fisheries/ &c., by Rebus. 



