308 



"As to the derivation of the word 'quahog,' Governor Winthrop re- 

 fers to it as 'Poquahauges, a rare sbell and dainty food with the Indians. 

 The ilesh eats like veal; the English make pyes thereof; and of the 



Qualiiiug ( Tones mercenaria). Inside view of left valve, showing the dark ventral margin. 



( Atlantic coast of North America. From specimen in U. S. X. M. ) 



shells the Indians make money.' He says of the money, 4 it is called 

 wampampeegeS* Also called by some English hens po- qua hock. Three 

 are equal to a penny; a fathom is worth 5 shillings.! 

 "Poqiuihocli, corrupted into quahaag or quahogP 



WHITE WAMPUM, OR WAMPUM- PE AGE. 



In Cadwallader Colden's History of the Five Indian Nations, he says 

 that wampum is made of the large whelk-shell Buccinum, and shaped 



like long beads; it is the current money of the 

 Indians. Whether the shells of the true Buc- 

 cinum (B. un datum, Linn.) or those of Pyrula 

 canaliculataX and Pyrula carica were used is 

 not satisfactorily explained. Probably all of 

 these were used, the long columella of the two 

 latter species causing them to be specially de- 

 sirable for the purpose of bead making, par- 

 ticularly the latter for the white beads. 



These shells are frequently referred to by 

 the old colonial writers as "cunk" or "conch" 

 shells; and the names "periwinkle," "winkle," 



* Journal Royal Society, June 27, 1634. 

 t Vide luvertebrata of Massachusetts, Binney's edi- 

 tion, p. 134. Specimens of wampum are contained in 

 the National Museum from Newport, Rhode Island, No. 

 Fig. 6. 17975; Cuyahoga, New York, 17157; Georgia mounds, 



Common- Whulk (Buccinum un- 10027 ; Franklin, Tennessee, 19974. 



dwu»). t Fulgur (Sycotypus) canaliculatus, the grooved whelk. 



(Atlantic coast of North America. From / rr , r»i. ±. „ ,., \ 

 specimen in B S. N. M. ) \oe6 x late II. J 



