The Cowries. Venus Shells 



currency they have is cowry shells. For a dollar's worth of any 

 thing a purchaser must pay 2,000 cowries, which weigh from 

 five to seven pounds. It is not to be wondered at that the wheels 

 of trade drag heavily with this burdensome currency, and progress 

 of all kinds is impeded. In some parts of Africa 3,000 shells are 

 worth a dollar. The price of a young wife is 60,000 to 100,000 

 cowries — from £4 to /8 sterling. This is $20 to I40. An older, 

 more ordinary wife may be had for 20,000 cowries or 25 shillings, 

 about $6. 



The Ring Cowry (C. moneta, var. annula, Ads.) has already 

 been mentioned. Mr. Arthur Adams saw the young of this 

 mollusk clinging in a glutinous mass to the mantles of their parents. 

 Each had a transparent, very wide-mouthed spiral shell. When 

 put into a watch glass of sea water the shells disintegrated, and 

 the mollusks swam rapidly about by means of two mem- 

 branous wings, finally settling down. 



The Eyed Cowry (C. Argus, Linn.) has as many eyes on its 

 back as Juno's fabled peacock. Three bands of smoky brown 

 cross the arched back, fading out into the creamy ground colour 

 of the base. The "eyes" are rings of warm, light brown. A 

 few of the largest are almost solid brown to the centres. Two 

 large dark brown patches occur on each lip. The teeth are 

 shaded with brown. Length, 2% to 4 inches. 



Habitat. — New Caledonia, New Hebrides, Indian Ocean. 



The Measled Cowry {C. exanthema, ]Jinn.)\s well "broken 

 out" with round white spots on a chestnut ground, which fades 

 to drab or bluish underneath. A wavy line of bluish white runs 

 longitudinally over the back, revealing what the mottled brown 

 areas almost conceal, three broad bands of bluish brown under- 

 colour. The teeth are dark brown. Fine specimens are picked 

 off of mangrove stems on the north shore at Key West. Length, 

 3 or 4 inches. 



Habitat. — West Indies, Florida. 



Variety cervinetta, Kiener, is a smaller shell, more cylindrical 

 and darker than its parent species. The teeth on the columella 

 are dark brown. It occurs on the west coast at Panama and 

 Mazatlan. 



The Nut-brown Cowry (C spadicea, Swn.), the only species 

 found on western beaches of the United States, occurs in Southern 

 California. It is flesh-coloured on the sides and white below. 



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