dangerous, the large Conus marmoreus the helmet shells. These are well adapt- 



being able to inflict a severe wound. The ed for this purpose, as the shell is made 



cone is quite pugnacious and will imme- up of several differently colored layers, 



diately bite the hand when picked up, a making a bas relief figure not only pos- 



ver itable reptile of the ocean. sible but very effective. The black hel- 



The ne plus ultra of mollusks to the met (Cassis madagascariensis) is one of 

 collector is without doubt the genus Cy- the best for this purpose, the figure being 

 praea, comprising the cowry shells. So carved from the white, outer layer of 

 eagerly have they been sought by wealthy shell, which stands out very clearly 

 collectors that the price of rarities has against the black background of the sec- 

 gone up to an astonishing degree, some ond layer. When a cameo is desired 

 specimens -being sold at several hundred simply as a brooch or for any other form 

 dollars each. The shell is highly polished, of personal adornment, a piece of the 

 owing to the fact that two lobes of the shell is cut out and shaped into the re- 

 voluminous mantle are turned back over quired form and size oval, square or 

 the shell and meet in the middle of the other shape and cemented to a block of 

 back. The foot is very large and spread- wood. The figure is then traced on the 

 ing, the mantle beset with curious little shell with a pencil and finally carefully 

 tentacular-like organs and the eyes are worked out with sharp, pointed steel in- 

 placed on small swellings near the base struments, of delicate size and form. The 

 of the long, cylindrical tentacles. The same process is resorted to in working 

 color-patterns of the shell vary to a won- out a bas relief on the entire shell, only 

 derful degree. The young shell has a the latter is placed in a vice or other ob- 

 thin epidermis, a sharp lip to the aper- ject to hold it firmly. The home of this 

 ture and a more or less prominent spire, industry is Genoa and Rome, Italy, al- 

 the rolled over and toothed lip and pol- though some are produced in France; 

 ished surface not being acquired until these latter, however, are of a poorer 

 fully adult. No more beautiful sight can quality. Several thousand people are em- 

 be imagined than one of these gorgeous ployed in this trade. Many beautiful ex- 

 animals, as seen through the clear water, amples of this work were exhibited at the 

 crawling over the sandy bottom or on World's Columbian Exposition, in Chi- 

 the branch of some coral. cago, in 1893. 



Several of the cowries have a curious The cameo shells are among the largest 

 economic value. Thus, Cypraea auran- of sea snails, several of them measuring 

 tia, the orange cowry, was used as an in- eight or ten inches in length and weigh- 

 signia of royalty by the chiefs of the ing several pounds. They, are found only 

 Friendly Islands, and for a long time the in tropical and subtropical seas, living in 

 only specimens obtainable were those comparatively shallow waters on a sandy 

 which had been bored and used. The bottom. They are voracious eaters, liv- 

 money cowry (Cypraea moneta) has been ing principally on bivalve mollusks. 

 used as money by the natives of Western One of the most abundant of mollusks 

 Africa, and many tons of this small shell is the violet sea snail (lanthinia corn- 

 were annually imported to England to be munis), which spends its life floating in 

 used in barter by the African traders, the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The 

 The shell is of a yellowish or whitish shell is very delicate, resembling in form 

 color, does not exceed an inch in length, some of the land snails, and has but two 

 and is very common in the Pacific and colors, both shades of violet, a deep color 

 Indian Oceans. It is still used as a me- on the under side (which, by the way, is 

 dium of barter in parts of Africa, al- always turned upward when the animal is 

 though other things have pretty gener- ' floating in the water), and a lighter shade 

 ally taken its place. on the upper side. So fragile is the shell 



Cameos were at one time quite in the that it seems as if a breath would break 



fashion, both as ornaments for the per- it. The most interesting fact in connec- 



son in the way of brooches, and as brie- tion with this mollusk is the wonderful 



a-brac about the room. These shell- float or "raft" which is secreted by the 



cameos are made from the genus Cassis, foot, and to the under side of which the 



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