96 PEARLY NAUTILUS. 



the victim. The trap is now either closely watched, or ;i mark 

 is placed upon the spot, and the fisherman pursues his avocation 

 upon other parts of the reef, until a certain period has elapsed. 

 when he returns, and in all probability finds the Nautilus in his cage 

 feeding; upon the bait. The grapnel is now carefully let down. 

 and having en'.ered the basket through the opening on top. a 

 dexterous movement of the hand fixes one or more of the points 

 or hooks, and the prize is safely hoisted into the 1 canoe. 



The Pearly Nautilus is not found at the Navigator group of 

 islands in the South Seas, and the shells form there an important 

 article of exchange. They are brought by European vessels 

 from New Caledonia and the Feegee Islands as articles of trade, 

 and arc bartered with the natives at the rate of four for a dollar 

 or one shilling each. I am told it is indifferent to the natives if 

 the shells are old or rather damaged, as they use I he chambered 

 portion for ornament, rubbing them down to suit the various 

 purposes to which they apply them. They also make armlets 

 and other ornaments from the shell. A vessel arrived at Sydney 

 from New Caledonia with several tons of these shells, which 

 were disposed of as an article of trade to the Navigator and 

 Friendly Islands; they were sold at Sydney at about \~>-d. each. 

 I have seen a very elegan, lillel formed of these shells (of very 

 small si/e), brought from the Samoan Islands, the brilliancy of 

 which was that of the most highly burnished silver. They are 

 used by the natives in war. and are highly valued; this one 

 costing twenty dollars. The shells are fixed to a small midrib of 

 cocoa mil leaf, which supports them on a worked band of sinnct ; 

 upon this, under the row of seventeen 'shells, small pieces of the 

 ^inie pearly shell were placed to add to the ornamental effect. 

 The length of the band was 12 inches (not including the lying 

 strings) and the depth :> indies.* 



In India elegant drinking cups are made of Naulilum Pompilim?* 

 the exterior coaling being relieved by carving on the inner 

 pearly lamina; or it is someiimes grotesquely painted. Cameo 

 carving on the shell of the Naniilus is extensively practised in 

 Kngland and other count ries. and shells Ihns prepared are highly 

 valued as ornaments. 



* Dr. George Bennett, Proc. Zool Soc., 226, 1859. 



