i'i:.\i;i,v NAI TIU s. 



tlu- victim. The trap is now ei; her doselv watched, or a mark 

 is placed upon tin- sp<>'.. and the iislicnnan pursues his avocation 

 upon other parts of the reel'. im:il a ccr'ain period has elapsed, 

 when he rci urns. and in all probabilil y linds the Nautilus in his cage 

 reeding upon 4 lie bai.. The LiTapncl is now carerully lei down, 

 and having en..ei-cd the baskt . ihrouo'h the openiiiir on top. a 

 dexterous niovemein ol' '.he hand fixes one or mm e of i he points 

 oi 1 hooks, and the pri/e is salely hoisted! into the canoe. 



The Pearly Nan! ilus is not found at the Na\'iLi'a1or ^roup oi' 

 islands in '.he Sou:h Seas, and the shells I'orm there an impoi 

 aniclc of exchange. They are brouLL'h; by Knropean vessels 

 from New Caledonia and the Kee^ee Islands as articles of trade, 

 and are bartered with the na'.ives at the rate ol' four Tor a dollar 

 or one shilling each. I am told i' is indili'ercnt in the natives if 

 i lie shells are old or rather damaged, as they use >he chambered 

 portion lor ornament, rubbing them down bo 8Ul1 ihe various 

 purposes to which they apply them. They also make armlet 

 and oilier ornanieii's from ihe 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 N:i visitor and 

 1-Yiendly Islands; they were sold at Sydney tit aloui \ld. each. 

 I have seen a very ele^aii; lille formed of t hese shells ( of very 

 small size), brought from ;he Samoan Islands, the lu-illiancy of 

 which was ih.it of : he most highly liurnished silver. They are 

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

 costing twenty dollars. r rhe shells are lixcd to a small midribot' 

 cocoa nut leal', which supports them on a worked baud ol' sinne! ; 

 upon this, under the row of seventeen shells, small pit-ces nl'llu- 

 same pearly shell were placed to add in ; lie ornamental effect. 

 Tin- length of the band was 12 inches (not including the tyinii 1 



no's) and ihe depth :\ inch: 



In Indi.M i-li'ii'Miii drinking cups are made of Nan/ flu* I^im/u'linff. 

 'he ex'erior coating bein^ rclicveil by c:M > vin;- on the inner 

 peai'ly lamina : or 11 issonu'times m-o!es(,uel v |, M in:e<l. Cameo 

 carvin- on ;he shell ol' the Nautilus is ex t ensi vely ))raciisi-d in 

 Kiiuland and o! her count ries. and shells thus prepared are highly 

 \-alued as ornaments. 



Dr. Qeo "-tt, Proc. Zool. Soc., 'J'.N;. 



