Industrial and Manufacturing Uses of Shells. 271 



There are other uses besides the foregoing, but at least 

 these are the principal ones. 



Let us pass on now to speak first of the shells used for 

 carving cameos, and those employed to form articles of 

 personal decoration. 



Of the quantities imported for this purpose we can 

 obtain no reliable details. The shells come over in bags, 

 and every now and then the City brokers announce a sale 

 of bull's mouth, helmet shells, queen conchs, etc., but no 

 aggregate records are kept of the numbers. 



To show, however, the extent of the trade in shells, 

 here are the particulars of the sales advertised on one day 

 in London (October loth, 1871), by various City brokers: — 



By Lewis and Peat — 



275 cases Bombay M.O.P.* 



43 5 J Egyptian „ 

 6 ,, Gambia 

 262 Panama 



45 of cowries 



81 packages fancy shells 

 195 cases Japan ear shells. 



By Ellis and Hale — 



140 cases and 6 casks of M.O.P. from Fremantle. 



8 and 27 serons M.O.P. Bombay. 

 211 „ cases of cowries. 

 24 tons of Japan ear shells. 



By Price, Hickman and Co. — 



18 cases Bombay M.O.P, 



By Bowyer and Bartlett — 



41 cases M.O.P. 

 6000 conch shells. 

 1400 helmet shells. 



* The trade abbreviation for mother-of-pearl. 



