1877.] Aboriginal Shell Ornaments and Mr. F. A. Barber. 473 
ABORIGINAL SHELL ORNAMENTS, AND MR. F. A. 
BARBER’S PAPER THEREON. 
BY R. E. C. STEARNS. ‘ 
p the sen number of the AMERICAN NATURALIST (page 
271) Mr. E. A. Barber, in an article on Stone Implements 
and “aetna from the Ruins of Colorado, Utah, and Arizona, 
remarks: “ The marine shells which were: converted into beads 
by the ancient tribes, so far as ascertained by the investigations 
of the United States Geological Survey, during the summer of 
1875, were the Oliva and (possibly) the Busycon or Murex. . . 
Figure 7, Plate I., represents a specimen of the Oliva biplicata 
(probably), although the shell is so weather worn that the specific 
characteristics are almost entirely obliterated. Still it strongly 
resembles this species of the Pacific coast, and is very likely the 
same.” In a foot-note Mr. Barber says that “ it may be Olivella 
gracilis.” 
The figure referred to certainly does “not strongly resemble 
O. biplicata, and if reasonably accurate, the specimen from 
which the figure was drawn does not belong to the said species. 
It may be either O. gracilis or O. dama,! common Gulf of Cali- 
fornia forms, not found as yet north of latitude 25° N. on the 
Ocean side of Lower California, or it way be O. betica, which 
like 0. biplicata i is a northern species, not found in the Gulf. 
There is no species of Busycon on the Pacific Coast, and 
Murex,? though found in the Gulf, seldom occurs on the outer 
Shore north of Cape St. Lucas, and is rare at the cape. 
“ Murex” as used here is exceedingly vague, for the Muricide 
are so largely represented upon this part of the West American 
or more exactly West Mexican coast, and includes so many well- 
marked groups, that the name of the genus, subgenus, or group 
should be given. 
The importance of an accurate determination of species of 
shells, in connection with the “ancient tribes” of the region 
named in Mr. Barber’s paper, and as related under similar con- 
ditions to ethnological questions, ppon a brief review of the 
points involved, will be seen at a glance. 
If the beads or ornaments were made of the shells of Murex 
and Olivella, either O. gracilis or O. dama, Gulf forms, it in- 
1 Cooper in bet: Cat., sp. 732, credits San Pedro, Cal., ‘with this form, but it has 
ures been verifi 
2 Whether st proper or the markedly prominent group, Phyllonotus, is not 
Stated by Mr. Barber. 
