Use of Cowry-shells fof Currency ^ Amulets, etc. 133 



Roman necropolis of Trion, at Lyons ; and in Pompeii, as 

 well as in other places. 



The complete outer lip of Cyprcea tigris^ a species 

 occurring in the Indian Ocean and Red Sea, has been 

 recorded by J. R. le B. Tomlin, from a pre-historic pit- 

 dwelling at St. Mary Bourne, Hants. 25 The same hand- 

 some species is recorded by M. Locard from the Gallo- 

 Rornan necropolis of Trion, and by Monterosato from 

 Pompeii." Cypr<za pantherina^ a Red Sea shell, has been 

 found in Saxon women's graves, excavated on Kingston 

 Down, and Sibertswold Down, in Kent,' 27 and in a grave 

 near Wingham, Kent.' 8 It has also been recorded (under 

 the name Cyprcea vinosa) by Dr. Ph. Dautzenburg from the 

 Franco-Merovingian necropolis of Nesles-lez-Verlincthun 

 (Canton cle Samer).- 9 Dr. Dautzenburg also refers in the 

 same paper to a record by M. 1'Abbe Henri Debout of the 

 presence of this shell (erroneously referred to C. arabicd) 

 in a sepulchre at Tardinghen ; and from Dr. Tiberi's 

 Memoir on the shells met with in the excavations at 

 Pompeii, 30 we learn that many examples of this species 

 were found, and that the shell in question was an amulet 

 which the women carried in order to prevent sterility. 



In a footnote in Dr. Schneider's paper (op. cit., p. 116), 

 reference is made to a description, by Dr. Koehl, of 

 Merovingian graves at Weisoppenheim, near Worms, 

 where cowries were found alongside the bodies of several 

 women, either hanging from a girdle, or sewn to their 

 dresses. Unfortunately, the specific name of the shell is 



- 5 Journal of Conchology, vol. 13, 1912, p. 251. 



- c fidt Tomlin, op. cit. 



"-' Fausseu's " Inventorium Sepulchrale," 1856, pp. 68, 92 & 133. (See 

 also J. W. Jackson, Jourti. of Conch., vol. 13, 1912, p. 307, for discussion 

 of species). 



2S " Archreologia/' vol. 30, p. 551. 



- Jonrn, dc Comhyliologie, vol. liv., 1906, p. 260, figs. I & 2. 



30 " Le Conchiglie Pompeiane," Napoli, 1879. 



