A STUDY OF PRIMITIVE MONEY. 307 



species of Pyrula,* or conch, and from other shells,, as we are led to infer, 

 they made their " white wampum," In reference to the first, and its use as 

 a substance from which the wampum was made, we have the following: 

 ''The quahaug ( Venus mercenaria), called by Roger Williams the poqaau 

 and the hen, is a round, thick shell-fish, or, to speak more properly, worm. 

 It does not bury itself but a little in the sand; is generally found lying 

 on it, in deep water, and is gathered by rakes made for the purpose. 

 After the tide ebbs away a few are picked up on the shore below high- 



Fig. 4. 



The quahaug {Venus mercenaria). 



Atlantic Coast of North America. From specimen in U. S. N. M. 



water mark. The quahaug is not much inferior in relish to the oyster, 

 but is less digestible. It is not eaten raw, but is cooked in various modes 

 being roasted in the shell or opened and broiled, fried, or made into 

 soups and pies. About half an inch of the inside of the shell is of a 

 purple color. This the Indians broke off and converted into beads, 

 named by them suckauhock, or black money, which was twice the value 

 of their wompom, or white money, made of the metauhock or periwinkle 

 {Pyrula)* 



myarian oysters, where the muscular scar is in a general way central, does not apply 

 to the dimyarian quahaug with two muscular scars — one anterior, the other posterior. 

 In such shells as have a purple interior both of these scars are often more or less 

 merged in that color, which is principally seen on the ventral or lower portion of the 

 valves. Mr. Iugersoll refers to the periwinkle shells, " Meteauhock" or Pyrula, from 

 which the " white wampum" was made, thus : "It was only necessary to take out one 

 or two small sections of the central column of the spire and smooth the edges; the 

 hollow core made them natural beads." I am somewhat familiar with these shells, 

 but have never observed a specimen with a perforated columella. (See "Wampum 

 and its History.") 



"Mass. Historical Society Collections, vni, 192 (1802). 



