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Casis bandatum
If Mr. deVaul knew what repercussions his taking of 37 Murex insularum on a Christmas weekend 1965 would have, I am certain
he would have given up shell collecting right then and switched over to philately. No less than four articles were published
condemning his action, and before Mr. deVaul's enthusiasm for shell collecting turns to sour grapes, we might try to view the
matter more objectively and see if the guilt of "Over-collecting" can be distributed more equally.
The taking of over 1200 specimens of Voluta deshayesi in New Caledonia and several hundred Cypraea coxeni in New Britain is
legend among collectors, and details need not be repeated here. Hugh Cuming and Andrew Garrett, both celebrated Pacific
collectors who somehow avoided making headlines on "Over-collecting" during the last century, were both indiscriminate
collectors. Garrett did not blush when he wrote that he collected 1,500 specimens of Mitra papilio at Raiatea "in a few days"
(1880, Journ. Conch., 3:27).
Dr. Maria Schilder in her little book "Die Kaurischnecke" (Leipzig, 1952, 1-47), gives us an insight on over-collecting; the
figures quoted by the author were extracted from entries in old business ledgers on the export of Cypraea annulus and C.
moneta to West Africa.
Recently I received for examination two rather well preserved beach shells which exactly agree with the holotype of
rabaulensis in all essential details. They were collected on the beach at the type locality, Rabaul (New Britain), by Mrs.
Nan Van Eck. Their present owner, Mrs. Myrtle Lee, Maroochydore (Queensland), kindly permitted the publication of the
photograph. The formula (length in mm./ breadth in per cent, number of labial : columellar teeth) of the holotype was
24.1/53, 21:23, that of the new specimens is 20.4/50, 22:24 (figured above) and 23.1/52, 22:23. Therefore the new specimens
are slightly smaller and narrower, but the relative closeness of the teeth is very similar to the holotype of rabaulensis.
The teeth are far less numerous than in the allied species katsuae, martini, and superstes. The two beach shells are rather
bleached, but they distinctly show traces of the four dorsal zones and the lateral spots clearly shown in the holotype.
Mr. W.E. Old Jr. just informed me that the American Museum of Natural History in New York has acquired a fourth rabaulensis.
It is a beach shell of 19.5 mm, and also came from Rabaul!
Undoubtedly further dredging in deep water off Rabaul and careful examination of the small beach cowries will provide still
more specimens of this rare, but no longer unique species.
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