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Chamber nautilus
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.
The name arenosa Gray, 1824, should be restored for what most workers have recently been calling schilderorum Iredale, 1939.
Contrary to Schilder's opinion (Philippine Shell News, Nov. 1965, p. 7), the name Cypraea arenosa Dillwyn, 1823, is not
available according to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature under Article 11(d) which says "A name first
published as a synonym is not thereby made available. " Dillwyn (Index to Lister's Hist. Conchyl., 1823, p. 33) said that
plate 685, fig. 32 was probably a young Cypraea pantherina, and that Solander's manuscript name of arenosa was a synonym.
Dillwyn's exact and only words were: "685, 32. Quoted by Dr. Solander in his MS. for his Cypraea arenosa; and it is probably
a young shell of Cypraea pantherina."
Some others of Dillwyn's 1823 names are unavailable and would not constitute homonyms, such as Cypraea cincta (p. 33); but
Cypraea umbilicata "Solander" Dillwyn (p. 32) is available as a name, although Lister's poor figure could be one of several
species, including arenosa Gray. In this case, umbilicata could be declared a species inquirenda (a doubtfully identified
species needing further investigation).
After giving some additional thought to Blasicrura latior (Melvill, 1888) and its taxonomic position, I have taken a second
look at what other workers have had to say about it and have weighed their thinking against my own feeling in the problem. To
be brief, I have come up with the following reasons for wishing to regard this species with restraint until more specific
evidence becomes available.
Schilder and Schilder (1938), without considering this form as a separate cowrie race, referred to it as an "ecological
variety only" of Cribraria teres teres (Gmelin, 1791); Burgess (January, 1962) said of this shell, "identical with
rashleighana except for size and elongated pyriform shape"; Old (December 1963) said, in referring to Blasicrura teres and
Blasicrura latior, "Neither of these shells are likely to be confused with Cypraea rashleighana Melvill"; Schilder (1965)
listed the shell as Blasicrura rashleighana latior (Melvill, 1888) apparently reconsidering his earlier (1938) appraisal. All
three opinions are worthy, but divided.
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