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BULLETIN - OF THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 
water streams, however, we have pearls produced, of which 
the value will, no doubt, astonish many of the readers of this 
paper. The species producing them have, unfortunately, not 
been fully worked out, but they belong for the most part to 
the genus Margaritana. Pearls from fresh-water Mussels are 
found in Europe, and were known from very early times. 
Those from our River-mussels have sometimes great beauty; 
as much as is known of their value will be found in a sub- 
sequent part of this paper. 
In many of the East India Islands, the only money which 
can be used in traffic, consists of the shells of the Cowry 
(Cyprcea monetum). Traders are obliged to provide themselves 
with a store of it beforehand, and formerly many tons were 
annually collected and sent to England for the use of traders. 
This is the most conspicuous example of the use of shells as 
money, which occurs to us, but many other savage tribes utiliz- 
ed shells for this purpose. Indians of the west coast of America 
used species of Haliotis or Ear-shells, and other tribes, strings 
of Dentalium or Tooth-shells. Among the east coast Indians 
and those of the interior, wampum was the great medium of 
exchange and was a true currency. White wampum was 
made from the central column of the shell of two species of 
Conch ( Sycotypus canaliculatus, and Fulgur carica ); purple 
and the more valuable wampum, was made from the purple 
part of the shell of the Quahog or Round Clam. These were 
made into beads, not more than half an inch long, which were 
strung on threads, the threads being sometimes fastened 
together side by side to form belts. This was very extensively 
used by the east coast Indians in their traffic with one 
another and with the whites. In Acadia it appears to have 
been used more for ornamental and ceremonial purposes than 
for money. The Passamaquoddies had “Wampum Records” 
as Mr. Leland tells us in his ‘ ‘Algonquin Legends.” Les- 
carbot, in his “History of New France, (1609, book VI., chap. 
XII.), has left us a most interesting account of its value to 
the Micmacs, which, as it has apparently escaped the notice 
of the writers on this subject, is here given in full. 
“The Brazilians, Floridians and Armouchiquois, [t. e., the 
