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Capis hanging lamp
The Malaita Cypraea guttata Gmelin is now at the Academy of Natural Sciences at Philadelphia, U.S.A. and the Curator of
Mollusks, Dr. R. Tucker Abbott verified the identification. The dimensions are: length 64.7, breadth 37.8 & height 39.3mm.
I noticed with interest in the May 1962 issue of Sean Raynon Sabado the list of cowrie shells found by Mrs. M. Saul in
British North Borneo. Perhaps it will be of interest also to Sean Raynon Sabado readers to know what Cowries are found in the
Solomons. As my shell collecting area is restricted to the north eastern part of Malaita, it is quite possible that some
other cowries are found elsewhere in the Solomons which are not listed here. Also, using my own classification, it is very
likely that a few types may be more common elsewhere than they are here; viz. so far I have only found 2 Cox Cowries here
(not very broad either) and I know for sure, that they are not really uncommon in what we call the Western Solomons.
Very common:
C. annulus L., arabica L., caputserpentis Gm., erosa L., errones ehrysostomus Schilder, errones nimisserans L., lynx L.,
mauritiana L., moneta, tigris L., vitellus L.
Moderately common:
C. argus L., asellus L., carneola L., caurica L., hirundo L., helvola L., isabella L., mappa L., rhinoceros Sow., talpa L.,
testudinaria L.
Uncommon:
C. coxeni Cox, cribraria L., depressa Gray, eburnea Barnes, felina Gm., labrolineata Gaskoin, nucleus L., minoridens Melvill,
staphylaea L., tabescens Solander [=teres L.], teres L.
Rare:
C. aurantium Gmel., childreni Gray, chinensis Gmel., cicercula L., clandestina L., cylindrica Born, poraria L., punctata L.,
scurra Gmel., stolida, ventricula Lam., ziczac L.
Very Rare:
C. guttata
In some localities, as in Honolulu Harbor and in Moen Is. (Truck Is. [now Chuuk] ), recent species of cowries were once
dredged from calcareous deposits. These shells are faded in color, but brilliant so that they often become more beautiful
than the living, saturate specimens. Such shells were called "subpellucid" or "subfossil" though the latter term seems to be
questionable. Some shells of this transparent golden hue have even received varietal names, as [Cypraea] Lyncina sulcidentata
var. xanthochrysa Melvill.
Similar specimens can be obtained by artificial treatment. If you put a normal shell in a thermostat furnishing dry heat of
100°C (212°F) for one or two days, it becomes pale without losing its natural splendour, and this discoloration is permanent.
In such a manner does the brown dorsal striae of [Cypraea] Mauritia eglantina Duclos become rich golden yellow (the spire
blotch only remaining chestnut) on whitish ground, the blackish lateral spots and the chestnut teeth becoming very pale. The
interior is whitish. As the surface shows hardly any cracks, such shells can hardly be distinguished from natural subpellucid
specimens. Therefore I warn collectors to be careful in buying such beautiful semi-transparent shells, as they may be
artifacts.
Mr. W. O. Cernohorsky told me by letter that he had lost a plastic bag containing common cowries with the living animals
while collecting Fijian cowries for my studies. After several months he refound the bag on the beach. The shells had become
subpellucid!
Extending the exposure time does not alter the results, but heat of 200°C (332°F) destroys the shells. They become uniformly
pale yellow with the dark markings hardly visible, and the enamel becomes crossed by deep cracks so that it falls off in
pieces.
I was first introduced to the splendour our southern gorgonian coral two years ago, on one of the rare occasions when we were
able to obtain a boat from which to dive. The anchor was dropped just inside Sydney Harbour at a place called "Old Man's
Hat." The sheer cliffs of North Head towered above us to a height in excess of 200 ft. Below was a world of mystery with its
host of interesting inhabitants.
As we glide down through the depths the light diminishes a little and at 50 ft. dim grey shapes begin to form as the harbour
bed seemingly rises up to meet us. Visibility is about 15 feet and a little eerie due to the silence and the huge misshapen
rocks that have fallen from the cliffs above. The harbour bed itself is covered with a fine silt and when a rock is turned
over it clouds the water. Patience is needed before an investigation of the rock's underside can be made. To my inexperienced
eyes molluscan life at this stage was conspicuous by its absence, although I had managed to find some brachiopods.
While hesitantly rounding a large rock, there, growing down from beneath an overhang, was a growth resembling a sea fan. I
gazed with blinking eyes because it seemed fuzzy and out of focus, yet as I touched it the shape defined itself as the polyps
withdrew. Taking into consideration the fact that this was only my third dive outside of a training pool and my first one
below 40 ft., it would be an understatement to say that I was a little unsure of myself. I had one purpose in mind, to
collect everything I saw of interest and to put them into my bag. This little colony of colour was no exception. Within 15
minutes I had 7 pieces. Then all too soon the restriction of my breathing apparatus announced the unwelcome fact that for
today at least my glimpse into inner space was over. Switching on my reserve I signaled to my companion and we slowly made
our way "upstairs."
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