Chapter II. 



Shell-Trumpets and their Distribution in the 

 Old and New World. 



The wide-spread use of shells as horns or trumpets is 

 of very ancient origin. 



The Latin word Bucciiia, or Buccinuni, a trumpet, 

 was indiscriminately applied by the ancients to almost 

 every kind of spiral univalve shell. Amongst the Greeks 

 the large Triton nodiferus, Lam., was the trumpet used 

 in land- and sea-fights, as well as for setting the watch 

 and calling together assemblies of the people.' 



Triton, Neptune's trumpeter, is generally depicted 

 with a large conch shell in his hand, with which it is fabled 

 he convened the river deities around their monarch. It 

 is wreathed, like those called Sikanos, or Sea-horn, 

 common to India, Africa, and the Mediterranean, and still 

 used as trumpets for blowing alarms or giving signals." 



Itanian coins {circa 200-67 B.C.) have the figure of a 

 sea-god or triton carrying a trident and blowing a conch - 

 shell.^ 



Triton hojding a conch with both hands and blowing 

 into it is also seen on the coins of Agrigentum, Sicil\' 

 (before B.C. 406.)* 



Fliny tells us that a deputation of [)ersons from 

 Olisipo [Lisbon], that had been sent for the jnirpose, 

 brought word to the Emperor Tiberius that a triton. had 



' Jeffreys, "Brit. Conch.," iv., 1867, p. 284. 



- Mary Roberts, "Popular History of the MoUusca," 1851, p. 97. 



" B.V. Head, "Hist. Numorum," 1887, p. 39S. 



* Ibid. p. 106; and " B.M. Cat. Greek Coin.s : Sicily,'" 1876, p. 15. 



