130 The Under-Water World 



diamond merchant and shell collector. 

 If one may believe the chroniclers this 

 " conchologist " chanced to see the other 

 specimen put up for auction, and after 

 a tense fight with a rival enthusiast pur- 

 chased the shell at a staggering figure. 

 On being handed over the prize he 

 crushed it beneath his feet, exclaiming : 

 f< Now I possess the only specimen on 

 earth ! ' The thirty specimens which 

 are in existence at the present day were 

 all obtained from a reef off the Philippine 

 Islands which has recently subsided. No 

 fresh specimens are therefore likely to 

 be obtained. 



In certain cone-shells the tongue is 

 developed into a hollow fang which 

 communicates with a poison duct, and 

 the venom when injected acts on the 

 central nervous system. As a result 

 accidents from incautious handling of 

 these much sought after shells are quite 

 frequent, and consequently natives often 



