33
We now come to the "Caves," which are the "lions" in this part of the country;—we enter the first, which has a double opening, high, but not particularly deep;—here, much to the joy of our party, we find magnificent groups of Purpuræ and Halotideæ (Ear Shells), and we were soon all on our knees intent in admiration of them, calling down vengeance on some irreverent beings who had been hacking and hewing away and mutilating many splendid specimens, without, as we could perceive, obtaining one entire. The Haliotis is a flat, brickdust coloured shell, so similar in shape to the human ear that it is commonly known as the Ear Shell; and the generic name given above is composed of two Greek words having a similar signification. The natives call it Munja, or big-mouthed. The aperture is nearly as large as the shell itself, one end being slightly spiral, and from the spire to the other extremity is a row of holes, for the passage of the animal's mantle, which are made at regular intervals as it increases in size, the one nearest the spire closing up as each new one is formed, leaving seven or eight generally open; the interior of the shell is beautifully iridiscent, and in much request for inlaying purposes. The animal itself is exceedingly worthy of attention, its head and side-lobes being fringed or festooned. The natives of the South Sea use the §hell to ornament their boats, and to make some kind of musical instrument,—the thick portions of the lip are also formed into fish hooks. Mr. Swainson[1] corrects a remark
- ↑ Proceedings Royal Society of Van Diemen's Land, Vol. 3, part 1, January, 855, page 46.
