These are followed by the edible mollusks. All mollusks are more or less edible, perhaps, but those that have a commercial importance in America are easily enumerated, and their virtues have been described in Bull. In another series are embraced shells used in the arts, together with the art-work produced from them. The shells of the larger mollusks are extensively employed in the making of ornaments, jewelry and especially buttons. By cutting through the nacre and exposing a different later underneath, are produced upon the conch or the helmet shell cameos, admired for their delicacy.
Shells contribute largely to household implements.
Of squids there are a great number of species, though few reach the proportions of Architeuthis, which has been known greatly to exceed the dimensions of this model. As for those gigantic squids, Verrill expresses the opinion that they inhabit the colder fiords of Newfoundland, and are rarely seen at the surface unless disabled. When cast ashore they serve the men lucky enough to find them as dog-meat, bait, or manure. To the same family belong the argonaut, or paper nautilus of fanciful fame, and the edible octopi of the Mediterranean and Chinese seas, This animal is also an object of capture to the Indians of Puget sound and the Northwest coast, who go in canoes to its rocky haunts on the outer reefs and spear it, as it lies in wait for some swimming prey, for all these cephalopods are carnivorous. These models are made of paper over plaster molds cast from actual specimens.