NAUTILID^E. 59 



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 the chambered 

 portions 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 wei*e 

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

 Islands ; they were sold at Sydney at about l^d. each. 



I have seen a verj^ elegant fillet formed of these shells (of 

 very small size), brought from the Samoan Islands, the brillianc}^ 

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

 are used b}'" the natives in war, and are highly valued ; this one 

 costing twentj^ dollars. The shells are fixed to a small midrib 

 of cocoanut leaf, which supports them on a worked band of 

 sinnet ; upon this, under the row of seventeen shells, small pieces 

 of the same pearly shell were placed to add to the ornamental 

 efiect. The length of the band was 12 inches (not including the 

 tying strings) and the depth 3 inches. — Dr. GtEORGe Bennett, 

 Proa. Zool. Soc, 226, 1859. 



In India elegant drinking cups are made of Nautilus Pompilius, 

 the exterior coating being relieved by carving on the inner pearly 

 lamina ; or it is sometimes grotesquely painted. Cameo carving 

 on the shell of the Nautilus is extensively practiced in England 

 and other countries, and shells thus prepared are highly valued 

 as ornaments. 



ATURiA,Bronn, 1838. (Megasiphonia, d'Orb., 1847.) Sutures of 

 septa with a deep lateral lobe ; siphuncle on the concave or inner 

 side of the shell, large, continuous, like a succession of funnels. 

 Distr. — 6 sp. Eocene, Miocene ; N. America, Europe, India. A 

 ziczac, Sowb. (xxxi, 14, 16). 



DisciTES, M'Coy, 1825. Whorls all exposed; last chamber 

 sometimes produced. Distr. — 5 sp. L. Silurian, Carb. 



TEMNOCHEiLus, M'Co}^, 1844. (Endolobus, Meek and Worthen, 

 1866.) Shell carinated, with an open, conical umbilicus. Distr. 

 — 5 sp. Carb. limestone N. bia7igulatus, Sowb. (xxxi, 15). 



TREMATODiscus, Mcck and Worthen, 1861. Like Temnocheilus, 

 but outer side of whorls with revolving angles and sulci, and 

 frequently, revolving striae. Distr. — Carboniferous; Europe, 

 America. N. trisulcatus, Meek and Worthen (xxxi, 17, 18). 

 Subcarboniferous ; Rockford, Ind. 



ciMOMiA, Conrad, 1866. Septa sinuous, double waved or 

 sigmoid, numerous ; siphon small, central. N. Burtoni, Galeotti. 

 Lower Eocene. 



HERCOGLOSSA, Courad, 1866. (Aganides, Montf.?) Septa angular 

 and linguiform ; apex of the angle or tongue-shaped lobe not 

 contiguous with the adjacent septum ; siphon large or moderate, 



