A STUDY OF PRIMITIVE MONEY. 327 



or less, if they are not pretty. Being susceptible of a high polish, this 

 money forms a beautiful ornament, and is worn for necklaces on gala 

 days. But as money it is rather too large and cumbersome, and the 

 Indians generally seek to exchange it for ' the less brilliant but more 

 useful ha-wock. The iil-lo may be considered rather as jewelry." 



Kg. 18. 



Red-backed Abalone (Haliotis rvfescens). From nature, reduced one-half. 



(Coast of California. From specimen in U. S. N. M. ) 



The ilhl-lo pieces are of a uniform size on the same string; they do 

 not mix them. The dollar pieces (Figs. 19, 20) are generally about 1J 

 inches long and 1 inch wide ; the smaller about as loug, but narrower; 

 * * * a couple of fragments I picked up in an old Indian camp are 

 worth twenty-five cents each. 



The Indians are very ingenious and economical in working up the 

 aulones. Wherever there is a broad, flat space they take out a dollar 

 piece; where the curve is sharper, smaller ones. They especially value 

 the outer edge (columella) of the whorl or lip, where the color is brilliant, 

 and these they are obliged to cut into twenty-live-cent pieces. You 

 will see that the ilhl-lo is cut into pieces of different sizes, and even pieces 



