68 SJiells as evidence of the Migrations, 



In his lecture upon " Dragons and Rain Gods," which 

 is now in course of publication in the Bulletin of the John 

 Ry lands Library, Dr. Elliot Smith called attention to the 

 fact that the American "long-nosed " or elephant-headed 

 god (which represents the Indian Indrd) has also the same 

 attributes as the dragon in China and India. The "long- 

 nosed " god is sometimes represented emerging from the 

 shell, like the dragon of the Variables coat of arms. 



Regarding the supposed relations between the moon 

 and shells, the following remarks, given by Johnston, in 

 his "Introduction to Conchology," are not without interest. 

 He tells us that " among the earlier naturalists it seems to 

 have been a prevalent belief, that oysters and other bi- 

 valves were fat and in season at the full moon, and lean 

 and out of season at the new moon." On this point, 

 Cicero (" De Div.," ii. 14) states : " Ostreis et conchylits 

 omnibus contingit, ut cumiuna pariter crescant, pariterque 

 decrescant." Gellius tells the following story : " The poet 

 Annianus, on his Falerian estate, was wont to spend the 

 time of vintage in a jovial and agreeable way ; and he 

 had invited me and several other friends to pass those 

 days with him. When we were at supper there, a large 

 quantity of oysters was brought from Rome ; but when 

 they were set before us, they proved, though many, 

 yet all poor and thin. The moon (remarked Annianus) 

 is now in truth waning; and on that account the oyster r 

 like other things, is lean and void of juice. We asked 

 what other things waste when the moon is old ? Do not 

 you remember (said he) what Lucilius says ? 



' Luna alit ostrea, et implet echinos, maribu fibras 



Et pecui addit.' 



Those very things which grow with the moon's increase 

 pine away as it wanes ; the eyes of cats also become 

 fuller or smaller according to the changes of the moon.. 



