“There is a curious old custom,” writes Mr. W. Anderson Smith,[206] “that used formerly to be in use in this locality [the western coast of Scotland], and no doubt was generally employed along the sea-board, as the most simple and ready means of arrangement of bargains by a non-writing population. That was, when a bargain was made, each party to the transaction got one half of a bivalve shell--such as mussel, cockle, or oyster--and when the bargain was implemented, the half that fitted exactly was delivered up as a receipt! Thus a man who had a box full of unfitted shells might be either a creditor or a debtor; but the box filled with fitted shells represented receipted accounts. Those who know the difficulty of fitting the valves of some classes of bivalves will readily acknowledge the value of this arrangement.” Shells are employed for use and for ornament by savage--and even by civilised--tribes in all parts of the world. The natives of Fiji thread the large _Turbo argyrostoma_ and _crenulatus_ as weights at the edge of their nets, and also employ them as sinkers. A _Cypraea tigris_ cut into two halves and placed round a stone, with two or three showy _Oliva_ at the sides, is used as a bait for cuttles. _Avicula margaritifera_ is cut into scrapers and knives by this and several other tribes. Breast ornaments of _Chama_, grouped with _Solarium perspectivum_ and _Terebra duplicata_ are common among the Fijians, who also mount the _Avicula_ on a backing of whales’ teeth sawn in two, for the same purpose. The great Orange Cowry (_Cypraea aurantiaca_) is used as a badge of high rank among the chieftains. One of the most remarkable Fijian industries is the working of whales’ teeth to represent this cowry, as well as the commoner _C. talpa_, which is more easily imitated. Among the Solomon islanders, cowries are used to ornament their shields on great field days, and split cowries are worn as a necklace, to represent human teeth. Small bunches of _Terebellum subulatum_ are worn as earrings, and a large valve of _Avicula_ is employed as a head ornament in the centre of a fillet. The same islanders ornament the raised prows of their canoes, as well as the inside of the stern-post, with a long row of single _Natica_.