INDIGO. 281 



says, a pound of the Tyrian purple could 

 not be bought for less than 1000 denarii, 

 (31/. os.) He says, " that when P. Lentulus 

 Spinther was vEdile, he wore in the chair a 

 long embroidered robe, for which he was 

 both blamed and checked, but now-a-days it 

 is thought nothing to hang our dining-cham- 

 bers with this purple dye, as well as to carpet 

 our floors, our cushions, and our cupboards, 

 with this double-dyed purple of Tyre." 



The Tyrians obtained this fine colour from 

 shell-fishes called Purpura, and those taken 

 from the deepest water produced the finest 

 purple. These were therefore called Pela- 

 gice (fish of the deep sea). These fish have 

 a tongue of about a finger in length, of so 

 hard and sharp a nature, that they pierce 

 through the shell of other fish, and thus 

 draw their nourishment from their victim. 

 From this observation the Phoenicians in- 

 vented a method of catching them, both 

 simple and curious. They procured cockles, 

 which were kept dry until they were 

 nearly exhausted, and then put into small 

 nets and let down to the bottom of the water. 

 Here they naturally would open, to revive, 

 and receive the benefit of their element, 

 which being perceived by the purples, they 



