Chapter I. 



The Geographical Distribution of the Shell-Purple 

 Industry. 



Among the many curious and ornamental uses to 

 which shell-fish have been applied, one of the most striking 

 and interesting is undoubtedly their employment for the 

 production of the famous dye known as " Tyrian purple." 



Much has been written concerning this d) e and the 

 subject has been discussed in its economical and philo- 

 sophical aspects by numerous writers. 



By far the best and most comprehensive summary of 

 the various contributions to our knowledge of the subject 

 is the article on Purpura by Maurice Besnier, in Daremberg 

 and Saglio's " Dictionnaire des Antiquit^s." ^ The biblio- 

 graphy quoted by this author is astonishing and serves to 

 show how extensively the subject has been treated by 

 writers of different nationalities. 



But Besnier, and the authors he quotes, deal only with 

 the classical area of the Mediterranean. The aim of the 

 present chapter is to trace out, as far as it is possible to 

 do so, the geographical distribution of this interesting 

 industry ; not only in the Old, but also in the New World. 



Many data relating to the use of this shell-purple are 

 to be found in the historical records, but in some cases its 

 former presence in a particular area can only be inferred 

 from the finding of broken and crushed shells, which serve 

 equally definitely to distinguish certain ancient stations for 

 the extraction of the purple. 



From the works of ancient writers, especially Aristotle 



1 Vol. IV.— I., Paris. 



