CHAPTER II. 



Shell-Trumpets and their Distribution in the 

 Old and New World. 



The wide-spread use of shells as horns or trumpets is 

 of very ancient origin. 



The Latin word Buccina, or Buccinum, a trumpet, 

 was indiscriminately applied by the ancients to almost 

 every kind of spiral univalve shell. Amongst the Greeks 

 the large Triton nodiferus, Lam., was the trumpet used 

 in land- and sea-fights, as well as for setting the watch 

 and calling together assemblies of the people. 1 



Triton, Neptune's trumpeter, is generally depicted 

 with a large conch shell in his hand, with which it is fabled 

 he convened the river deities around their monarch. It 

 is wreathed, like those called Sikanos, or Sea-horn, 

 common to India, Africa, and the Mediterranean, and still 

 used as trumpets for blowing alarms or giving signals. 2 



Itanian coins (circa 200-67 B.C.) have the figure of a 

 sea-god or triton carrying a trident and blowing a conch- 

 shell. 3 



Triton holding a conch with both hands and blowing 

 into it is also seen on the coins of Agrigentum, Sicily 

 (before B.C. 4o6.) 4 



Pliny tells us that a deputation of persons from 

 Olisipo [Lisbon], that had been sent for the purpose, 

 brought word to the Emperor Tiberius that a triton had 



T Jeffreys, "Brit. Conch.," iv., 1867, p. 284. 



2 Mary Roberts, "Popular History of the Mollusca,'' 1851, p. 97. 



5 B.V. Head, "Hist. Numorum," 1887, p. 398. 



4 Ibid. p. 106 ; and " B.M. Cat. Greek Coins : Sicily, 3 ' 1876, p. 15. 



