THE ANIMAL LIFE OF THE GROUP. 449 



Spiny Rock Sttet.i.s. 



The extensive family -"^ kiioMu as the sjjiiiy rock shells is represented in 

 Hawaii by ten genera with i)erhaps twenty-eiuht or iiioi-e species. The typical 

 genus Murex is seldom found on the shore, but the genus J'to-pura. namcil in 

 allusion to a purple dye formerly secured from certain species, has three 

 species, one of which is quite common. These, together with the castor bean- 

 pod shells,-'' the banner shells •'^'^ and tlu> )-attle shells''^ shown in the jilates, 

 will be sufficient to give an idea of the more common fonus belonging to this 

 family. 



Of the rattle shells there are several small species known from Hawaii. 

 The mulberry shell ^- is appropriately named from its appearance. It is ciuite 

 generally distributed, but is not conspicuous, since it is less than an inch in 

 length. To these, and in fact to the great majority of shells of the same 

 general shape, the Hawaiians gave the class name ])ui)u. It seems that the 

 number of species was so great that the natives applied specific names to only 

 a few of the more important ones. 



Tritons. 



The triton family ^^ is represented in the islands by a dozen or more 

 species belonging to the typical genus -'^^ and as many as eight or more of the 

 frog-shell •''•'' group, which differ from their cousins in having a pronounced 

 ridge or varix on each side of the shell, which forms a thick ridge on the oppo- 

 site sides making the shell distinctly two-edged. They live on the coral reef, 

 and all but one of the species has been taken from Honolulu harbor. 



The fine triton trum})et ■''' is seldom taken on shore, l^ut as they grow to 

 splendid proportions and are the largest shell that occurs in Hawaii and were 

 used by the ancient Hawaiians as a war trumpet, they are worthy of special 

 mention. They are said to attain a length of eighteen inches, but specimens 

 a foot in length are more commonly seen. Such shells are treasured as a i-eal 

 possession by the old Hawaiian fishermen, foi- they know how scarce they are 

 and how hard they are to secure, living or dead. 



The hard shell has a peculiar resonant (|ualit\-. When the tip of the spire 

 is cut or ground away and the shell used as a bugle (pu), it emits a peculiar 



-^ Miiricidcv. "^ Ririnula. ^"Ve.vilhi. '^'^ Si.stnitn. ^- Sistrnm iiionix. ^^ Tritouidtv. 



3* Triton. 3= Ranella. 3" Triton tritonis. 



Descriptiox ok Platk. 



1. Ammtra violaccir var. wailaucnsis. 2. Carrlia sinrlairi. H. Lamiiiclld urarida. 4. 

 Latiiinella gravida. 5. Amastra turritella. G. Lamindhi saiifjitinea. 7. Amasfra nthrinin- 

 da. 8. Amastra textilis. 9. Newcombia canaliculata var. xvailauensis. 10. Lcptaclialina .<ip. 

 11. Pariulina dubia. 12. Perdicclla fuh/uran.s. 13. Lamindla rcnusia. 14. AiiricuhUa sp. 

 15. Endodonta sp. 16. Sncciiica sp. 17. IfcUcina sp. 18. Pupa sj). 1!). Pf< nuli.^rus nx. 

 20. Endodonta sp. 21. Pliihme.sia haldwini. 22. Eitloia siniilaris. 23. Opta.<i pijrtji.'icus. 

 24. Suceinea sp. 25. Leptachatina cl>rysaUs. 2(5. Pterodi-fctis discus. 27. Philoiitsin .f/j. 

 28. Amastra frosti. 29. Achatinella (Apex) lorata. 30. PartuUna confusa. 31. finliinrUa 

 bacca. 32. Achat audhtst rti ix iihnncta. 



